29 November 2022
Existing boreholes at the Rosemanowes quarry in Cornwall, southwest England, have been successfully sealed by Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) in a demonstration of the technology it plans to use to seal boreholes drilled during the search to find a suitable location for a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) in the UK.
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The demonstration of the borehole sealing technology at Rosemanowes (Image: NWS)
The UK search for a suitable site is a nationwide process based on community consent and includes detailed investigations over a number of years. Community Partnerships, which have formed in Mid Copeland, South Copeland, and Allerdale in Cumbria, and Theddlethorpe in Lincolnshire, are engaging in a dialogue with local people to ensure they have access to information about what hosting a GDF might mean.
During the process of exploring if a site is suitable to host a GDF, deep boreholes will be drilled to investigate the geology of the location. NWS will then need to seal these boreholes as part of the site restoration programme to minimise impact on the environment.
NWS is conducting a project – costing more than GBP5 million (USD6 million) – to investigate and demonstrate to regulators its approach for deep borehole sealing.
The latest phase of this project was carried out at the Borehole Test Facility at the Rosemanowes quarry. NWS said the site, formerly a working quarry, now offers access to one of the most…
