Project of the century
The repository protects drinking water in the long term
The protection of groundwater is one of the most important tasks in connection with the disposal of radioactive waste. The Opalinus Clay is central to the solution.
Nagra News – August 2024
The people behind the century project • Differences regarding communication in Switzerland and other countries • We are looking for reinforcement
Yellow drums and bright neon fuel rods? What our radioactive waste really looks like
Radioactive waste comes in many shapes and sizes. When it comes to what it really looks like, however, popular culture tends to be misleading...
Building at great depth – a demanding task
The repository for radioactive waste is to be built at a depth of around 800 metres. However, construction at that depth is challenging.
Are earthquakes a risk for the deep geological repository?
The risk of earthquakes must be considered during construction of the final repository. Unexpected things can happen deep underground during an earthquake.
The best demonstration of safety comes from nature
Opalinus Clay encloses radioactive waste very effectively. This is shown by laboratory tests and experiments in the claystone. However, the strongest evidence is of natural origin.
The Teeth of Time: Do They Also Affect the Repository?
The deep geological repository for radioactive waste must be protected against erosion. To ensure that future ice age glaciers and rivers do not come too close to the repository, Nagra has conducted extensive research.
In 100 years the repository will be closed – or perhaps even earlier?
If everything proceeds according to plan, the deep geological repository will be closed in the year 2125. However, depending on global circumstances, this could happen sooner.
Borrowing and simulating – or how Nagra creates knowledge
How on earth can one know what the radioactive waste repository will look like in thousands of years? To answer this question as accurately as possible, Nagra conducts experiments. And it takes inspiration from nature.
Nagra Itself Foresees the Worst-Case Scenario
Nagra states that the deep geological repository is safe. But how does it arrive at this statement? It has assumed the improbable, even unthinkable – and calculated it through with high-performance computers.
"The deep geological repository is not a cookie-cutter project"
Mining engineer Thorsten Steils says in the video why he considers the century project Swiss deep geological repository to be anything but routine.
Art, Cats and Communication: What the Three Have to Do with Radioactive Waste
Radioactivity is invisible. The stable geology at great depth and the future in distant times are as well. What consequences does that have? To this question, a panel discussion was held at the Winterthur cinema Cameo.