43 years have passed since the last Reset of nuclear waste in deep water before GaliciaThe field for all this time, not a single European institution agreed to reconsider the condition of abandoned barrels, despite the fact that the internal report Commission He admitted that “the technical condition of these objects is unknown.” The initiative has now come from Francewho decided to act independently. The project was launched with Location of a thousand radioactive drumsField
The scientific mission begins from the Best to one of the largest radioactive cemeteries on the planet
Field work is developed on board vessel L’ARANTEWhich sailed from the port of Brest on June 15 in the direction of the Abissal of the North -Eastern Atlantic, about 650 kilometers north of Firestra. The area located in international waters is located in one of the Large nuclear landfills in the worldField
There between 1946 and 1990, More than 220,000 drums From countries such as the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the Netherlands or Belgium, according to the inventory International Atomic Energy AgencyMost of them contain Low and medium residues of radioactivity It is encapsulated in cement or bitumen.
On board the trip on an autonomous underwater robot Ulyxcapable of working to a depth of 6000 meters. This car was responsible for identifying and displaying the first deposits. In some dives, cylindrical structures were found, covered with deposits, the location of which involves its industrial origin. Thanks to use High resolution sound and environmental sensorsMore than 20 square kilometers in search of these remains.
The main goal of this first stage, baptized as Nodssum-i, for the search for drums and Evaluate your preservation statusThe field according to CNRS, the mission also includes Samples of the collection water, deposits and sea fauna for measuring the possible concentrations of radionucleides and their displacement through currents or sedimentation processes. The analysis will be carried out both on board and in laboratories on Earth, with strict radiological security protocols.
The study unites experts from several countries with the support of international security organizations
The scientific campaign is coordinated National Center Recherche Scientifique In cooperation with the Ifremer Institute and other international organizations, such as the Nuclear and Radioprotector Security Office, in addition to universities in Norway, Canada and Germany. The only performance of Spanish in the project corresponds to Geology department of the University of GironaField
Geologist J.Avier EscartínOne of those who are responsible for the mission explained to the newspaper L ‘–e What the team is looking for Determine the key areas for the subsequent reception of direct samplingThe field according to him: “The purpose of our mission is to compare and select samples near these waste in order to understand what influence they had on this environment.”
A total of a study area It covers about 6,000 square kilometersdelimiting in two areas marked by the agency in nuclear energy called Nea No. 3 and No. 4The field is an abissal strip that accumulates more than 90 % of radioactive waste plunged throughout the planetField
Many of the storage correspond to The remains of medical, military or industrial useAs collects the inventory of the International Agency for Nuclear Energy, with a total load of 4 Petabeeceerelios.
The second stage of the mission will be focused on the direct selection of drums by robots and submarines
The first campaign It will end on July 11The field of the second stage, called Nodssum-IIPlanned on 2026The field, unlike the current one, it will have a remotely controlled robot or manned submarine, such as Nautile or Victor ROV. These tools will allow Come closer On the drums and immediately take direct samples.
Security measures will still remain priority. Before analyzing some material, samples will pass Radioactivity detectors To protect people on board. These changes will also be supported in laboratories on Earth in order to ensure proper manipulation of each element.
This operation has no precedents. Brussels rejected the possibility of intervention in 2023, despite the recognition of the lack of information. Now, France accepts only scientific research. Nuclear heritage, which remained hidden for decades at the bottom of the ocean.
