Belgium begins construction of nuclear waste storage facility in Dessel
The construction of a surface storage facility for radioactive waste has started in Dessel, Flanders. It will serve as the definitive destination for Belgium’s low- and intermediate-level short-lived nuclear waste, the first of its kind in the country.
The type of waste that will be stored in Dessel contains far lower radiation levels than high-level waste. It mainly originates from the dismantling of nuclear power plants and other nuclear facilities, but also from hospitals, industry, and research institutions.
The storage facility will consist of concrete bunkers, each holding large concrete containers in which the radioactive waste will be encapsulated with mortar. It is designed to store all existing and future low- and intermediate-level short-lived waste in Belgium.
The disposal will take place over a period of 50 years. Afterward, the facility will be permanently sealed with natural and artificial layers to protect against water infiltration, creating two green hills of about 20 meters high. The site must then be preserved and monitored for at least 300 years.
First unit by 2030
“Nuclear technology will remain an essential part of our energy strategy," prime minister Bart De Wever said. "It is safe, reliable, low-carbon, and affordable – the EU now formally recognizes this as well. Moreover, it helps us move towards energy independence, which is crucial in these geopolitically uncertain times.”
“Nuclear technology will remain an essential part of our energy strategy"
The project is coordinated by the National Agency for Radioactive Waste and Enriched Fissile Material (ONDRAF/NIRAS) and costs around 230 million euros. The first storage units should be ready by 2030.
Belgium is still investigating how to dispose of its high-level radioactive waste, which is currently managed at nuclear sites. “The principle of deep geological disposal has been approved, and we are now examining how to implement it,” said Sigrid Eeckhout, ONDRAF/NIRAS spokesperson.
© BELGA PHOTO YVES BOUCAU
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