What are the solutions to the nuclear waste problem?

Nuclear waste has a very bad reputation. In Belgium, however, it is managed, sorted, stored, and analysed down to the gram. Both in the short and long term, solutions exist or are in development to manage, store, or even reuse it.

What is nuclear waste? 

But first, what is nuclear waste? It consists of more or less radioactive waste from nuclear power plants, hospitals, research centers, and universities: nuclear fuel, replacement parts, syringe needles (used in nuclear medicine), protective eyewear, gloves, and shoes, etc.

This waste is divided into categories A, B, and C, in ascending order of radioactivity and half-life.

The volume of nuclear waste is fairly limited and manageable. 

Learn more about the different categories of nuclear waste and their volume

What are the solutions?

There are several solutions for this nuclear waste: transmutation, storage, and recycling.

Transmutation

The SCK CEN’s MYRRHA project in Mol is innovative, the only one of its kind in the world and has several goals. In addition to producing new radioisotopes for nuclear medicine, it aims to transmute nuclear waste. In other words, it aims to ensure that nuclear waste, which would otherwise remain radioactive for several hundred thousand years, remains radioactive for only 300 years. A much more manageable period as it is reduced by a factor of 1,000.

Storage

This method involves burying high-level radioactive waste deep within a layer of clay that is known to be geologically stable and will remain so for millions of years. In Finland, a geological storage project (Onkalo) is currently being developed with the support of Finnish policymakers and environmental organizations.

Recyclage et réutilisation

When it comes to recycling, there is no shortage of ideas. In fact, concepts exist for SMRs (Small Modular Reactors) that, to generate electricity in the future, will be able to reuse spent fuel (nuclear waste) from our current nuclear power plants.

Download our infographic on nuclear waste to learn more!