The Pangea Dump: a Summary
updated March 22, 2008
The following information
comes from a document prepared for Pangea Resources Australia Pty Ltd
(PRL) by Access Economics.
It only reports on "the potential economic impacts" of the proposed
long term nuclear waste repository. Access Economics notes that it does
not comment on "various technical, social and environmental issues that
are crucial in any overall assessment of the project".
The
report was obtained from Access Economics with the permission of Pangea
Australia.
Summary of project
- Likely to be located
in WA, inland, at least 100km from the coast
- Impact (economic) is
claimed "likely to be large and positive"
- Development involves
"some $6 billion of investment" over the period 2004-2015
- Time frame – to accept
waste over a 40 year period and then "be permanently sealed"( ref.
p.1)
- Estimated income -
$200 billion export revenue over a 40 year period, $90 billion payments
to Government by way of royalties, payroll and company tax ($2.2
billion p.a. to Australian Governments in the form of company tax
and royalties)
- Identifies that "part
of this payment might go to establish long term fund for care of
the facility post closure"
 Claimed
benefits to the Australian economy
- Establishment of a shipyard
and foundry to manufacture 70 specialised waste carrying ships and
at least 3000 stainless steel transport casks
- Establishment of a dedicated
shipping terminal, port and fleet maintenance facility
- Establishment of a dedicated
railway from the port to the repository site
- Construction and operation
of the facility
- Manufacture and assembly
of 900 steel disposal overpacks containing 8.3 tonnes of steel each
- Direct employment of
2000 people
- During the period of
the project lasting 40 years from 2009 to 2049 "the project will
generate export revenues estimated at around $5.5 billion annually"
- The report predicts
a benefit to each household (estimated 6 million households) of
"around $8200 per household"
Claimed benefits
to Western Australia
- Add $36.2 billion to
the Gross State Product in WA over the period 2000-2049
- Increase employment
by 12,700 people per year (on average)
 Details
of the Project
- The repository will
receive "vitrified high level nuclear waste (HLW)", "spent fuel
assemblies" and "contact and remote handling intermediate level
waste (ILW)"
- Materials for disposal
will come from international sources and from Australia
- At full operation it
"should be receiving annually some 700 canisters (a canister contains
waste from 1.5-10 MTU of spent fuel depending on burn-up and fuel
type), 2000 tonnes of spent fuel and 20,000 cubic metres of ILW"
- The material "will be
disposed of underground on a single level, extending eventually
over an area of 10.5km x 2.1km
- Identified requirements
of the site (see attachment 1) ( ref. p.5)
- Decommissioning and
monitoring – the proposal includes a "final phase" which will involve
"decommissioning of all underground and surface facilities, followed
by the backfilling and sealing of all tunnels and accesses. There
will then be an extended period of monitoring to provide reassurance
of the proper functioning of the facility."
- Ultimate responsibility
for the repository will rest with the Australian Government – "PRL
will accept title to the materials for disposal at the point of
acceptance for shipping, and will retain title throughout all operations
until closure. Title will then pass to the Australian government."
(ref. P7)
- Pangea has not yet determined
the location within Australia of the shipyard and cask foundry.
(ref. p.13)
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