The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has appointed Dr Thorsten Faß from the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) to the team of experts on the Dutch ARTEMIS mission. The task of the independent commission will be to review the Netherlands' radioactive waste management programme. The mission will take place in The Hague between 19 and 28 November 2023.

ARTEMIS missions

In addition to the legal and sub-legal regulations and the tasks and responsibilities of the authorities, the disposal programme is also examined. This involves looking at the types of waste generated in a country and the plans and procedures for disposal. Technical solutions and implementation as well as financing issues relating to disposal will therefore also play a role alongside the regulatory framework.

As a federal authority in the field of nuclear waste management, BASE is involved in the preparation and implementation of ARTEMIS missions.

Nuclear waste management in the Netherlands

Radioactive waste in the Netherlands is currently stored at a centralised interim storage facility in the port city of Vlissingen. There are various interim storage buildings for different types of waste on the site of the Dutch company COVRA (Centrale organisatie voor radioactief afval). Part of the site is still undeveloped and will allow for an expansion of the storage buildings in the coming decades.

A geological repository in the Netherlands will not be ready for operation until 2130, which means that the radioactive waste will have to remain in the central COVRA interim storage facility for at least another 100 years. The financial, technical and social conditions for a geological repository are to be created during this period. At the same time, the Netherlands is pursuing a dual strategy regarding final disposal, which means that an international solution has not been ruled out.