The strategy of the Belgian nuclear research centre in the area of high level waste form compatibility research

The Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK·CEN) has a long-standing expertise in research concerning the compatibility of waste forms with the final disposal environment. For high level waste, most attention goes to two waste forms that are relevant for Belgium, namely (1) vitrified waste from the reprocessing of spent fuel, and (2) spent fuel as such, referring to the direct disposal scenario. The final objective of these studies, is to estimate the contribution of the waste form to the overall safety of the disposal system, as part of the Safety and Feasibility Case, planned by the national agency ONDRAF/NIRAS. The recent change of the Belgian disposal concept from an engineered barrier system based on the use of bentonite clay to a system based on a concrete buffer has caused a reorientation of the research programme. The paper explains the current R&D approach, and highlights some recent experimental set-ups available at SCK•CEN for this purpose, with some illustrating results.