Radioactive waste with a negligible heat development can be disposed of in the Konrad mine. The waste comes from the following sources:
- Research institutions
- Nuclear power plants
- Reprocessing plants
- State collection centers for radioactive waste (medicine, general industry)
- Nuclear fuel cycle industry
- Dismantling of nuclear power plants
The radioactive waste to be emplaced coming from nuclear power plants amounts to approx. 65 %.
The waste is stored in three types of containers: steel containers (maximum dimensions 3.2 m x 2m x 1.7m), cylindrical concrete containers and cast steel containers. The total weight of one waste container shall not exceed 20 tons. The waste can be transported to the Konrad mine by rail or by truck.
Upon delivery of the waste container, a reception inspection takes place to control the identity and integrity of the container and to check for contamination. Cylindrical containers made of concrete or cast steel are transported on exchangeable pallets. Subsequently, the containers are placed onto railcar flatbed wagons by a crane, transported to the shaft hall and pushed onto the shaft transport cage. On the main excavation level at a depth of 850 m, the wagons are pulled from the cage and the waste containers are reloaded onto a diesel transport vehicle with the help of a gantry lifting truck on rails. This diesel vehicle transports the containers to the entrance of the storage chamber. Every storage area consists of horizontal parallel storage chambers with a length of 800 m and a cross section of 6 by 7 meters. A fork lift transports the containers or the exchange pallets into the storage chambers and stacks the containers on top of each other after they have been lifted from the exchange pallets.
The remaining hollow space and the gaps between the containers are backfilled with concrete using pump stowing technology. Ore from the mine is to be used as an aggregate. At the end of the storage chambers, dams to seal the backfilled drifts from the rest of the open mine are to be erected.
It is planned to open up the individual storage chambers as required. A total volume of 1.1 million cubic meters can be excavated. It would thus be possible to store approx. 650,000 cubic meters of waste. Depending on the quantity of waste that arises, it would be possible to operate the repository for a duration of 40 to 60 years. With a single-shift operation mode, 3,400 transport units or 20,000 cubic meters of radioactive waste can be stored in the Konrad mine per year.
