RW, DS and SNF Management Strategy

The management of radioactive waste in Croatia is prescribed by the Radiological and Nuclear Safety Act (Official Gazette “Narodne Novine” no. 141/13, 39/15, 130/17 and 118/18, hereinafter: the Act), the Radioactive Waste, Disused Sources and Spent Nuclear Fuel Management Strategy (Official Gazette “Narodne novine” no. 125/14, hereinafter the Strategy) and the National Programme for the Implementation of the Radioactive Waste, Disused Sources and Spent Nuclear Fuel Management Strategy (Decision on Adoption, Official Gazette “Narodne novine” no. 100/2018).

The Strategy was developed by the State Institute for Radiological and Nuclear Safety (competent national body until 31 December 2018), based on the obligations under Directive 2011/70/Euratom, and was accepted by the Government of the Republic of Croatia and adopted at the 14th session of the Croatian Parliament held on 17 October 2014. The Strategy envisages the solution for the management of institutional RW and DS and the development of own solutions for the management of the Croatian half of the operational and decommissioning RW and SNF from the Krško NPP. The Strategy defines the starting points, principles, inventory, goals and strategic guidelines.

The short-term objectives (up to 2 years) of the Strategy envisage:

1. development of a national Strategy implementation programme,
2. establishment of a central storage facility for IRW and DS,
3. development of programmes for remediation of sites where naturally-occurring radioactive material is located (with properties changed through the use of technological procedures),
4. development of programmes for the research, development and establishment of a long-term storage facility for RW from the Krško NPP,
5. development of programmes for the research, development and establishment of a dry storage facility for SNF from the Krško NPP,
6. establishment of a centre for informing and educating the public on the management of RW, DS and SNF.

The mid-term objectives (up to 10 years) of the Strategy envisage:

1. implementation of remediation programmes for sites containing naturally-occurring radioactive material,
2. implementation of programmes for the research, development and establishment of a long-term storage facility for RW from the Krško NPP,
3. implementation of programmes for the research, development and establishment of a dry storage facility for SNF from the Krško NPP,
4. development of a separate programme for the research, development and establishment of repositories for institutional RW and DS,
5. development of a programme for future management of SNF from the Krško NPP.

The long-term objectives of the Strategy envisage:

1. implementation of long-term continuous radiological monitoring of remediated sites,
2. implementation of a programme for the establishment of repositories for IRW, DS and RW from the Krško NPP,
3. implementation of a programme for the management of SNF from the Krško NPP.

The Strategy envisages the establishment of a RW Management Centre (hereinafter: Centre), which would enable the facilities required for the management of radioactive waste in Croatia to be established at a single site. The procedure for the selection of a suitable site for the placement of the Centre will be carried out with the public transparently and comprehensively informed and actively participating in the decision-making process. The Government of the Republic of Croatia will actively support the development of the local community on whose territory the Centre would be located.

The Centre would include facilities for the processing, conditioning, manipulation, long-term storage and management of RW and DS originating from the territory of the Republic of Croatia, including the central storage facility, and RW not originating from the territory of the Republic of Croatia, but which the Republic of Croatia is obliged to management of pursuant to previously concluded bilateral agreements.

The development of the Centre is planned in stages. The first stage is the establishment of the central storage facility for IRW and DS. The second stage is the establishment of a long-term storage facility for the Croatian half of the LILW from the Krško NPP. The third stage (establishment of a repository) depends on the results of the research, development and establishment of repositories for IRW, DS and LILW from the Krško NPP.

The strategic guidelines are elaborated in more detail by the National Programme for the Implementation of the Radioactive Waste, Disused Sources and Spent Nuclear Fuel Management Strategy (hereinafter: National Programme).