Beneficiary organisation details
Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration (SNSA)
http://www.sigov.si/ursjv
Slovenian Radioactive Waste Management Agency (ARAO)
http://www.gov.si/arao/
Project Aims
The overall objective of this project was to assist Slovenia in improvement of radioactive waste management in the country.
The specific objective of the project was to assist Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration and the Agency for Radioactive Waste Management in a preparatory phase of installation of the radioactive waste management system, in particular in:

• Drawing up an inventory of spent fuel and radioactive waste from various waste generators. Identifying possible improvements for reducing waste arising;
• Compiling and evaluating information on existing spent fuel and radioactive waste management practices, in particular, on waste transport, treatment, conditioning and storage facilities;
• Analysis of the current situation at the Žirovski Vrh former uranium mine site, with special emphasis to its potential utilization as the waste disposal facility and/or remediation;
• Outlining programs for the improvement of training and professional development in the area of waste management;
• Public information and public perceptance;
• Outlining future waste management system for spent fuel and radioactive waste.

Project Results
This project represents the first step in achieving the overall objective to establish the spent fuel and radioactive waste management system in Slovenia. All kinds of radioactive waste and all facilities generating or in other way related to the radioactive waste management were considered.
The main project results are as follows:

• Complex analysis of spent fuel generation and interim storage at Krško NPP and Jožef Stefan Institute in Brinje was performed and it did not indicate any emergency problems. Since no decision on the final destination of the spent fuel was available, upgrade of spent fuel storage pool at Krško NPP and transport of spent fuel from Jožef Stefan Institute research reactor to the USA were considered as the most feasible option;
• Available capacity of radioactive waste storage facilities at Krško NPP was used for approximately 90% (in 1998). Measures, planned at NPP, have been evaluated by the project contractor and recommended for implementation with the aim to reduce the generation of radioactive waste and improve waste processing technologies;
• Information on waste inventory at the former uranium mine site at the Žirovski Vrh as well as two waste storage facilities in Brinje and Zavratec was collected and analyzed from the point of view of further waste processing and disposal;
• Available waste treatment and conditioning technologies were evaluated with special emphasis to the required waste volume reduction and to assure conformance of produced waste forms (waste packages) with estimated waste acceptance criteria for long term storage and final disposal;
• Five options for the spent fuel and conditioned radioactive waste disposal were proposed and analyzed, considering existing storage facilities after their substantial refurbishment, as well as construction of completely new disposal facility. Based on detailed multi-parameter analysis, the last option was found as the most feasible. A cost and expected time schedule were estimated using existing experience in EU countries;
• Organizational structure, professional profiles of staff and recommended training for all principal posts were proposed and described in detail using common practice in EU countries and considering specific conditions of the beneficiary country;
• Public information system in Slovenia was analyzed and recommendations for systematic improvement and implementation of the new approaches were developed at both, the national as well as local levels;
• The first draft of spent fuel and radioactive waste management system for Slovenia was prepared. The contractor concentrated its effort more to identification and justification of the safety requirements for individual components of the system than to their definition and technical description.

It should be noted, that in the follow up steps of the project as well as in further development of waste management system, available or recommended waste processing technologies should be carefully evaluated in the context of selected waste disposal option to provide for full conformance of prepared waste packages with waste acceptance criteria for disposal.
Project objectives have been met and the project was completed in time and in accordance with the work plan.
Further Project Results
Further information on the project results can be sought from the beneficiary organizations.