Session: 08-02: New Facility Planning/ Environmental Management (EM)/ Health & Safety

Paper Number: 109622

109622 - Overview of Lilw Disposal Facility Project in Slovenia 

The project of low and intermediate level waste (LILW) disposal facility in Slovenia started with the siting process in a year 2004. After initial selection several potential sites were geologically and hydrologically investigated. Together with intensive public involvement and based on experts’ criteria the site Vrbina in municipality Krško was selected. The disposal concept in a near-surface silo at Vrbina was approved by the government decree within the state spatial plan in a year 2009. Further site investigations were underway from which the data was used for the new iteration of a safety assessment for this specific site. The final design of the repository was prepared in 2015 which led to another iteration of safety assessment with emphasis on operational safety. Next step was to prepare the Environmental impact assessment report and a Preliminary safety report. In a year 2019 the Draft on Preliminary consent from Slovenian nuclear safety administration was issued. In the process of an environmental assessment public hearings were held in Slovenia as well as in interested neighboring countries. The project got the environmental consent in a year 2021. This was a major milestone in getting the construction license for the disposal facility.

Another iteration of safety assessment was done in the years 2018-2019 which was used as an input for Safety assessment report for the construction. Early in year 2022 the Slovenian nuclear safety administration issued a consent for a construction which was the second major milestone towards construction license. The project of LILW disposal facility in Slovenia got the construction license for a nuclear facility in a year 2022. The construction license for the infrastructure is expected early in the year 2023. With that the construction can begin.

Presenting Author: Špela Mechora Agency for Radwaste Management

Presenting Author Biography: Education:
- 2013: Ph.D., Bioscience, University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology
- 2009: M.Sc., Biology-ecology, University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology
Licenses & certification:
- Safety case development and review training course (EURAD)
- Implementation and management of investment processes of construction (Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia)
- Radioactive waste course (Nuclear Training Centre (ICJT))
- MS project training course (KID d.o.o., business informatics)
- RESRAD code training course (Argonne National Laboratory)
-Training in protection against ionizing radiation in nuclear and radiation facilities (ZVD)
- National qualification for laboratory assistant in medicine field (Ministry of Health, Slovenia)
Languages:
Slovenian, English, German, Russian, Spanish, Serbian
- 2018 - present: ARAO, Radioactive waste management, LILW repository - team member
- 2020 - present: MDPI Plants, topical advisory panel
- 2017: Delo d.o.o., freelance writer
- 2016: Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Ljubljana, Laboratory Engineer
- 2013-2016: Comita d.d., research project manager
- 2013-2014: Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor, Assistant Professor
- 2009-2013: Jozef Stefan Institute and Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, young researcher, assistant
Membership & Involvement:
- BIOPROTA
- Active participation in IAEA: DISPONET, MEREIA, ARTEMIS in Slovenia, Forum on safety of near surface disposal.