PREDIS: innovative ways for predisposal treatment and monitoring of low and medium radioactive waste
Authors: Niederleithinger Ernst , Lay Vera , Köpp Christian , Holt Erika , Oksa Maria 
Published: November 2021

Abstract. The EURATOM PREDIS project (http://www.predis-h2020.eu, last access: 25 October 2021) targets the development and implementation of
activities for predisposal treatment of radioactive waste streams other than
nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. It started on 1 September 2020
with a 4 year duration. The consortium includes 47 partners from 17 member
states. The overall budget of the project is EUR 23.7 million, with EC
contribution of EUR 14 million. The PREDIS project develops and increases
the technological readiness level (TRL) of treatment and conditioning
methodologies for wastes for which no adequate or industrially mature
solutions are currently available, including metallic materials, liquid
organic waste and solid organic waste. The PREDIS project also develops
innovations in cemented waste handling and predisposal storage by testing and
evaluating. The technical work packages align with priorities formulated
within the Roadmap Theme 2 of EURAD
(https://www.ejp-eurad.eu/sites/default/files/2021-09/2_Predisposal_Theme_Overview.pdf, last access: 15 October 2021), Nugenia Global Vision
(https://snetp.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Global-vision-document-ves-1-april-2015-aa.pdf,
last access: 15 October 2021) and with those identified by the project's
industrial end users group (EUG). The PREDIS will produce tools guiding
decision making on the added value of the developed technologies and their
impact on the design, safety and economics of waste management and disposal. Four technical work packages are focusing on specific waste types: metallic,
liquid organic, solid organic, and cemented wastes. For the first three, the
main aim lies in processing, stabilizing, and packaging the different waste
streams, e.g. by using novel geopolymers, to deliver items which are in line
with national and international waste acceptance criteria. In contrast, the
fourth technical work package has a different focus. To provide better ways for a safe and effective monitoring of cemented waste
packages including prediction tools to assess the future integrity development
during predisposal activities, several digital tools are evaluated and
improved. Safety enhancement (e.g. less exposure of testing personnel) and
cost-effectiveness are part of the intended impact. The work includes but is
not limited to inspection methods, such as muon imaging, wireless sensors
integrated into waste packages as well as external package and facility
monitoring, such as remote fiber optic sensors. The sensors applied will go
beyond radiation monitoring and include proxy parameters important for
long-term integrity assessment (e.g. internal pressure). Sensors will also be
made cost-effective to allow the installation of many more sensors compared to
current practice. The measured data will be used in digital twins of the waste
packages for specific simulations (geochemical, integrity) providing a prediction of future behavior. Machine learning techniques trained by the characterization of older waste packages will help to connect the models to the current data. All data (measured and simulated) will be collected in a joint database and connected to a decision framework to be used at actual facilities. The presentation includes detailed information about the various tools under
consideration in the monitoring of cemented waste packages, their connection
and first results of the research.