Many concepts have been proposed for emplacing radioactive waste under the ocean floor. Two representative examples of emplacement concepts are the emplacement of strings of waste canisters in drilled holes and the burial in the sea floor by free falling penetrators. Figures of this two method are shown. 1 Representative Emplacement Methods. Top figure is the emplacement of strings of waste canisters in drilled holes.
Bottom figure is the burial in the sea floor by free falling penetrators.
The design of waste packages suitable for seabed disposal is an important technical aspect. Barrier materials should be strong, tough , creep and corrosion resistance. The target of barrier materials is to ensure containment for at least 500 years. In summary, the penetrator option appears to be less costly than the drilled emplacement by a factor equal to 2.5. Regardless of the adjustment made in design and cost estimates, seabed methods appear to have a small impact on the total cost of the electricity generated and compares favorably with the cost of alternative disposal methods.