Hot Laboratory

Image (© Scanderbeg Sauer Photography)

Highly radioactive substances are handled at a laboratory scale in the hot laboratory. The department comprising the Hot Laboratory and the Nuclear Materials Research Laboratory uses various macroscopic and microscopic methods to investigate irradiated materials and nuclear fuels from reactors or accelerators.

Radioactive Waste
Management Facilities (AERA)

Image (© PSI)

The PSI also operates radioactive waste management facilities (AERA). These include the Federal Government’s Interim Storage Facilities (BZL and BZL 2), the operating building and the waste laboratory.

BZL

Image (© PSI)

The Federal Government’s Interim Storage Facility (BZL) is used for the interim storage of finally conditioned waste packages and for the temporary storage of pre-conditioned and unconditioned waste until the deep geological repository is available. The finally conditioned waste is mainly stored in 200-liter drums and small containers.

BZL 2

Image (© PSI)

The Federal Government’s Interim Storage Facility 2 (BZL 2) is primarily used for the interim storage of conditioned radioactive waste in waste containers suitable for final disposal (small containers (KC-T)) with a view to subsequent final disposal in a deep geological repository. BZL 2 went into operation in the summer of 2025.