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<p>The Government's most recent estimates of the impact of radioactive waste from a nuclear new build programme on the geological disposal facility (GDF) were prepared as an input into the preparation of the waste transfer contract for Hinkley Point C. This information will be made public when the contract is finalised.</p><p>The UK Government and devolved Administrations for Wales and Northern Ireland published a White Paper in June 2008 outlining a framework for the implementation of geological disposal of higher activity wastes (HAW) in the UK.</p><p>The MRWS White Paper provides an estimate of HAW—the ‘Baseline Inventory’. The Baseline Inventory is based on the quantities of radioactive wastes and materials reported in the 2007 UK Radioactive Waste Inventory (RWI).</p><p>Since publication of the White Paper, there have been a number of changes which have impacted on the Baseline Inventory. In 2010, the RWI was updated, available at:</p><p>http://www.nda.gov.uk/ukinventory/</p><p>which led to a reappraisal of the Baseline Inventory and development of a complementary Upper Inventory based on a number of scenarios designed to describe how the Baseline Inventory could evolve (including ILW and spent fuel from 10GW(e) new build reactors, operating for 60 years). The new build contribution to the Upper Inventory is estimated at an additional 25,000 m<Sup>3</Sup> intermediate level radioactive waste(ILW), and 20,000 m<Sup>3</Sup> Spent Fuel,see:</p><p>http://www.nda.gov.uk/documents/upload/An-explanation-of-the-differences-between-the-2007-derived-inventory-and-equivalent-wastes-and-materials-in-the-2010-UK-Radioactive-Waste-Inventory.pdf</p><p>Estimates of the radioactivity of waste from new nuclear power stations were made as part of the regulators' Generic Design Assessment process. We do not currently have figures comparing the radioactivity of new build waste with legacy waste, although qualitative arguments would suggest the activity per GW(e) will be less than existing reactors.</p><p>Updated figures are expected to be included in the 2013 Radioactive Waste Inventory, which we expect to publish in January 2014.</p> |