On the feasibility assessment of clay material application in the development of engineered safety barrier designs for deep geological RW disposal at the Yeniseiskiy site

The paper considers the basic strategy for further R&D focused on the development of engineered safety barrier system (EBS). It places particular emphasis on materials and structure of the buffer layer with relevant research implemented under the Comprehensive R&D Program aimed at demonstrating the long-term safety of RW disposal in a deep disposal facility (DGR) and optimization of the repository performance indicators. The paper identifies the key areas for the required R&D. It notes that a comprehensive research program will result in some numerical characteristics necessary to provide a mathematical description of the processes occurring in the EBS at operational and post-closure stages. They may be also applied to adjust the developed models narrowing down the scope of work at subsequent stages and optimizing further research plan required for EBS design development.