ENGINEERED AND GEOLOGIC BARRIERS IN REPOS ITORY STORAGE

Together with several partners the Karlsruhe Research Center (FZK) con ducted a comparison of repository concepts in salt and in hard rock (G eisha). The study was based on the concept of direct disposal of spent fuel elements. This allows a generalization to high-level waste from reprocessing to be made. Both geologic formations allow the protective goal associated with repository storage to be attained The decision i n Savor of salt, taken in Germany at an early stage, seems to be reaso nable. Knowledge about this type of storage in Germany is clearly bett er than about hard rock. The cost of a repository in hard rock is high er than in rock salt. Additional costs of repositories in hard rock ar ise, inter alia, from the more expensive excavation techniques.