Corrosion Study to Validate Container Performance for Deep Geological Repositories

Here, at a depth of 550 metres below the surface —the anticipated depth of the future deep geological repository—the behaviour of the rock mass and materials considered for the facility’s construction, individual barriers, and spent nuclear fuel containers are being tested. As part of this work, one of the most important and longest experiments—the so-called pilot corrosion experiment—has just begun. Its aim is to determine how corrosion of materials designed for disposal container systems progresses under conditions very similar to those expected in the future deep repository. The testing will continue for around ten years and, during this time, will provide valuable data for the safety of the future repository.