A "Phase 2 Surface Disposal Facility" for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste has begun full-scale operation in Wolseong, Gyeongju. The site already houses a cavern-type disposal facility for the same waste category, making Wolseong the world's first single complex to combine both cavern-type and surface-type disposal facilities.
The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment and the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency held a completion ceremony for the Phase 2 Surface Disposal Facility on the 13th at the low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste disposal site in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. The event drew attention as it was attended not only by Lee Won-ju, head of the ministry's Energy Transition Policy Office, Cho Sung-don, president of the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency, and Hwang Myung-seok, Vice Governor for Administration of North Gyeongsang Province, but also by officials from related overseas organizations in South Africa, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Taiwan and Vietnam.
The Wolseong surface disposal facility was completed last December at a project cost of 314.1 billion won since 2012, and received final operating approval from the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission on March 16. Surface disposal refers to a method of storing radioactive waste within 30 meters of the ground surface using natural barriers and engineered structures. It is intended for the disposal of low-level waste with relatively low radioactive contamination, such as gloves and protective clothing used by nuclear power plant workers. Intermediate-level waste, which is too hazardous for surface storage, is handled at the cavern disposal facility.
According to the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency, the Wolseong surface disposal facility consists of 20 concrete-barrier disposal vaults. Built with a five-layer multi-barrier system, it is designed to withstand earthquakes of magnitude 7.0. Its disposal capacity is equivalent to 125,000 200-liter drums. Combined with the 100,000-drum capacity of the Phase 1 cavern facility, the total capacity of the Wolseong low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste disposal site reaches 225,000 drums. Once the Phase 3 facility for very-low-level radioactive waste is completed as planned in 2031, the total disposal capacity will rise to 385,000 drums.
"The safe management of radioactive waste is a responsibility to current and future generations," Lee said at the ceremony. "Based on the safe operation of the Phase 2 facility built with our own technology, we will do our utmost in waste management so that the public can rest assured." Cho said, "The completion of the Phase 2 Surface Disposal Facility is a highly meaningful milestone in Korea's history of radioactive waste management," adding, "We will accelerate efforts to build the follow-up Phase 3 landfill-type disposal facility and to lay the groundwork for managing high-level radioactive waste, in order to establish a waste management system the public can trust."
