Abstract
Safe disposal of radioactive waste is one of the key issues in the consolidation process of the nuclear industry. Disposal in deep geological formations is at present the most promising option for long-lived waste and spent fuel. In Belgium, from a survey of potential geological formations, preference was expressed for a deep clay formation (Boom clay) lying under the facilities of the Mol Research Centre. This does not anticipate at all the site selection procedure. Rather early in the programme (1980) an underground laboratory was constructed in the clay to evaluate feasibility aspects and to become an in situ facility for performing tests in close to real conditions within the HADES (High Activity Disposal Experimental Site) project. The present programme requires now a major extension of the present underground facility to perform new large-scale in situ tests. A major action to be developed for the next 10 years is the PRACLAY project, a demonstration experiment simulating the thermal output of a 30 m long high level waste disposal gallery, 2 m in diameter. The experiment will be installed from an extension of the existing facilities to be built over the next 3 years. The experiment is planned to last until 2005.
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