Geological Factor Analysis for Evaluating the Long-term Safety Performance of Natural Barriers in Deep Geological Repository System of High-level Radioactive Waste

In this study, an investigation was conducted on the features, events, and processes (FEP) that could impact the long-term safety of the natural barriers constituting high-level radioactive waste geological repositories. The FEP list was developed utilizing the IFEP list 3.0 provided by the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) as foundational data, supplemented by geological investigations and research findings from leading countries in this field. A total of 49 FEPs related to the performance of the natural barrier were identified. For each FEP, detailed definitions, classifications, impacts on long-term safety, significance in domestic conditions, and feasibility of quantification were provided. Moreover, based on the compiled FEP list, three scenarios that could affect the long-term safety of the disposal facility were developed. Geological factors affecting the performance of the natural barrier in each scenario were selected and their relationships were visualized. The constructed FEP list and the visualization of interrelated factors in various scenarios are anticipated to provide essential information for selecting and organizing factors that must be considered in the development of mathematical models for quantitatively evaluating the long-term safety of deep geological repositories. In addition, these findings could be effectively utilized in establishing criteria related to the key performance of natural barriers for the confirmation of repository sites.