ANCHORS contributes to the safety assessment after the closure of geological disposal sites. It is part of the European partnership EURAD-2 (2024-2029), which brings together stakeholders in the research on radioactive waste management.

The annual meeting of the ANCHORS project took place in Montpellier from April 2 to 4, 2025.
The agenda included discussions and a visit to the Tournemire underground research laboratory.

Why is ANCHORS important?

ANCHORS focuses on the long-term evolution of engineered confinement systems considered in deep geological disposal projects for radioactive waste. These artificial barrier systems, made of bentonite, play a key role in ensuring the safety of such repositories.

How does it work?

The project relies on in-depth studies of various types of bentonites, a natural material with notable swelling properties. To optimize these confinement systems, different types of bentonite are being studied. Laboratory experiments and numerical modeling are conducted at various scales to evaluate their long-term performance.

Bentonite: A Key Material for Deep Geological Disposal

Bentonite is central to geological disposal programs for radioactive waste throughout Europe. Here are some examples of its use:

• Finland, Sweden, Czech Republic, Spain, and Switzerland: Bentonite serves as a protective barrier for waste packages and as a confinement barrier for radionuclides.
• France and Germany: Bentonite is used to seal and backfill tunnels, shafts, and drifts in claystone formations.
• United Kingdom: Researchers are studying its performance in saline environments.

A Highlight of the Meeting: Visit to Tournemire

The visit to the Tournemire underground research laboratory allowed partners to discover the experiments conducted by ASNR on bentonite, such as SEALEX and VSEAL (https://www.irsn.fr/recherche/station-experimentale-tournemire). These experiments are integrated into the TENOR consortium.

Some Key Figures:

• EURAD-2: 51 organizations from 23 European countries, a budget of 50 million euros, with 60% funded by the European Commission.
• ANCHORS: 42 organizations from 13 European countries, a budget of 5 million euros over five years, with 50% of the funding provided by the European Commission.