Prescriptive Analytics to Support Canada's Deep Geologic Repository Site Selection

Abstract

Canadian used nuclear fuel (UNF) is stored at seven interim facilities. There are plans to transport all existing and future UNF to a deep geological repository (DGR)to be located at one of five potential locations in Ontario. This study presents a prescriptive analytics approach to identify the optimum location of the proposed DGR. Prescriptive analytics presents a combination of tools that can assist decision makers in achieving their organization's goals by solving complex optimization problems. The optimum DGR location is identified based on the comparison of three multiple objective combinations including the shortest transported distance, fewest intersected nodes and fewest bridges crossed. The evaluation of the three objectives yielded the optimal DGR location to be either South Bruce, Huron-Kinloss or Hornepayne, while the DGR locations of Ignace and Manitouwadge were the least optimal locations based on the objectives considered in this study.