What is a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF)?
Geological disposal is the UK government’s policy for the permanent disposal of higher activity radioactive waste in England and Wales, in line with international best practice. Geological disposal involves isolating radioactive waste deep underground, inside a suitable rock volume to ensure that no harmful quantities of radioactivity ever reach the surface environment. A GDF will be a highly engineered structure consisting of multiple barriers that will provide protection over hundreds of thousands of years. The radioactive waste within a GDF is radioactive material for which we have no further use. Most of the waste in the UK comes from the generation of electricity using nuclear power, but it is also a by-product of many medical and industrial processes, research and defence activities that make use of radioactivity and radioactive materials.
The goal of a GDF is to isolate and contain the radioactive waste, preventing it from posing a threat to the environment and human health over extended periods. The selection of a suitable geological site is crucial to ensure the safe and secure containment of the waste. The design of this facility will combine engineered barrier and natural geological barriers to contain and isolate the radioactive materials deep in the subsurface for one million years.
GeoSafe Project 