Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science, Energy & Resources / ARWA

Since the 1950s, the Commonwealth Government has been exploring options to safely and permanently dispose of radioactive wastes, which mostly arise from local nuclear medicine production and industrial R&D activity. In 2018, a new investigative process was commissioned to develop and evaluate options for long term management of radioactive waste, covering its storage and disposal.

Aalto led the business case development project for the (then) Department of Industry, Science, Energy & Resources (DISER) and to prepare a detailed financial and economic analysis of options. The business case identified that the preferred form of solution would be a National Radioactive Waste Management Facility, where intermediate level waste would be stored, and low-level waste would be permanently disposed of.

The proposed facility would be the first of its kind in Australia with an operating life of more than 100 years and a construction cost of more than $325M (as published).

Our Role / Services Provided

The Detailed Business Case for DISER sought government approval for a “non-site specific facility” to be further progressed, including design development and site acquisition, as part of a budget submission in 2019.

The project involved close engagement with waste holders including ANSTO Waste Operations and other stakeholders, including CSIRO, Defence, ASNO, ARPANSA, States & Territory representatives, as well as the representatives from central agencies, including Department of Finance and Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Our analysis also advised on alternative operating models and commercial delivery structures for the facility, as well as alternative charging regimes which could be utilised. The detailed financial and economic model for options developed by Aalto and reviewed by the Department of Finance, was utilised to demonstrate the value proposition of the preferred solution based on available technical and financial data.  

Outcome Achieved

The recommendations of the DBC were successfully approved, leading to the acquisition of a site for the facility and commencement of site investigations, as well as progress to further design and operational planning.

The work highlighted the range of financial and non-financial benefits associated with reliable, long term management of radioactive wastes in a specially designed facility.

The initiative to manage radioactive waste remains a high priority for the Department, and investigation of options is ongoing.