Sandy Ridge

This is the ideal environment for driving research, recycling and storage of strategic waste from the clean energy transition, while intractable and end-of- lifecycle materials can be permanently disposed of in the world’s only geological repository with air dome technology.

Uniquely, the Western Australia Government will take back ownership of and responsibility for Sandy Ridge following the end of operations and ensure the site is safely monitored for 100 years. This support is primarily thanks to our world-class safety case and proprietary trust structure that will fund the post-closure monitoring period so that the WA Government, clients and taxpayers will never be out of pocket.

Because of this, Tellus is the only company we know that can guarantee removal of disposal liability under AASB 137 from a waste owner’s balance sheet. This guarantee is called our Tellus Permanent Isolation Certificate™ (or PIC). The PIC protects our clients’ reputation, while providing tangible value to their financial statements.

Natural characteristics

• Geological stability: Sited within one of the oldest and most stable rock formations on earth, the Yilgarn Craton. The site’s stability over billions of years reduces the risk of seismic activity which could compromise the repository, and also benefits from extremely slow rates of erosion.
• Hydrological isolation: An arid location with low annual rainfall and high evaporation. With no connected groundwater, the risk of contaminant migration to the surface or aquifers is essentially eliminated.
• Geochemical properties: The host rock of kaolin clay naturally adsorbs and retards the movement of contaminants. The site is further improved with meters of caprock (silcrete) and underlain by kilometres-deep impervious granite.
• Remote location: The site is positioned far from populated areas with the nearest town of Coolgardie located approximately 200 km by road.

Engineered characteristics

• Multi-barrier system: Including a custom air supported structure (air dome) covering waste operations, and an engineered seal and cap system installed at the end of each waste cell’s operational life permanently to isolate the waste from the surface environment.
• Waste packaging and containment: Waste containers, containment and packaging appropriately designed for safe and secure transport, storage and disposal.
• Monitoring systems: Advanced monitoring systems to detect potential leaks or breaches in containment. These include sensors for radiation, chemical detection, and structural integrity of the repository.
• Redundancy and fail-safes: Service and utilities redundancy, on-site waste verification laboratories and 24/7 emergency response support to handle unexpected events, such as power failures, extreme weather events or natural disasters.
• Access control: Strict security and access control measures prevent unauthorised entry. Only authorised personnel can access and handle waste materials.
• Best practice design and operation: designed, built, and operated by highly skilled professionals to internationally recognised safety standards.
• Long-term maintenance and surveillance: Backstopped by a pre-funded financial assurance framework, a detailed decommissioning and closure plan and a 100 year institutional control period for ongoing maintenance and surveillance of the site and to ensure the facility’s integrity and performance over thousands of years, post closure.