The construction of the Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) in Britain, designed to store the country’s growing amount of radioactive waste, has become the most expensive and lengthy major infrastructure project. Due to delays, the project now requires excavating 36 square kilometers of rock to create a massive underground cave that will contain radioactive waste collected over seven decades of civil nuclear electricity production.
According to estimates from scientists at the Nuclear Waste Service (NWS), the GDF project will take more than 150 years to complete at a total cost of $83 billion. This is significantly higher than other major construction projects in the UK, such as the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant and the HS2 London – Birmingham railway. The sheer volume of radioactive waste alone requires space equal to 8 Albert Hall auditoriums.
The completed GDF project will need to be even larger to accommodate future nuclear waste generated by additional power plants. There are currently two potential locations under consideration: one off the coast of Lincolnshire and another off the coast of Cumbria. Workers will dig deep tunnels to create giant silos in impermeable clay and mudstone for the ultimate repository of nuclear waste.
Due to the long half-lives of radioactive materials like plutonium and uranium, long-term measures like the GDF project must be taken to safely store nuclear waste. Without a place to store waste, it is not possible for an industry that relies on nuclear energy sources to be sustainable. Environmental organizations have organized protests against this project, raising concerns about its impact on tourism in areas such as Mablethorpe and Copeland. The debate over nuclear waste management and this controversial construction continues in Britain today.
In summary, due to its high cost and lengthy duration, experts consider the Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) project in Britain as one of their most challenging tasks yet. The estimated time for completion is more than 150 years with a total cost of $83 billion while environmental groups continue their protests against it citing concerns about its impact on tourism in local areas.
