Russia`s state atomic energy corporation, Rosatom, has officially joined a significant Chinese initiative for the underground disposal of hazardous radioactive waste. The agreement was finalized in Moscow during World Nuclear Week by Rosatom`s fuel division and the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology.
This collaboration centers on the international project titled “Monitoring and Evaluation Methods for Hydrological Response during Excavation in the Beishan Underground Research Laboratory” (MonEH). Under the terms of the agreement, Russian experts will gain access to the applied scientific research program at the Beishan underground laboratory, located in China`s Gansu province. They will also engage in a comprehensive exchange of information regarding the field testing program and participate fully in the hydrogeological investigations at the laboratory`s construction site.
Rosatom`s interest in the Beishan laboratory is driven by the similarities between the Chinese project and a comparable underground research laboratory currently being developed in Russia`s Krasnoyarsk region. Both facilities are situated within analogous geological formations, making shared expertise particularly valuable.
The Beishan laboratory, set in the Gobi Desert, is dedicated to assessing the suitability of the local geology for the long-term, safe storage of high-level radioactive waste. Plans include the construction of two distinct platforms for nuclear technology testing, to be established at depths of 280 meters and 560 meters, respectively.
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth