Located in a natural clay layer near Bure in the Meuse/Haute-Marne region, to the east of Paris, the Cigéo repository will be an underground disposal facility. The project is set to be financed by key radioactive waste producers, including EDF, Orano, and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, and will be managed by Andra.
According to Andra, the cost estimate is a crucial input for determining the final cost of Cigéo, which is expected to be confirmed by the Minister of Industry and Energy by the end of 2025. This will follow consultations with the main waste producers and feedback from the French Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Authority (ASNR). Andra explained: "This decree provides waste producers with a reference allowing them to establish the provisions they are required to make for the management of their waste."
The cost assessment for the Cigéo project has evolved over time. Initially, in 2005, Andra estimated the cost at between EUR13.5 billion and EUR16.5 billion. By 2009, this estimate had risen to approximately EUR36 billion. In 2014, a further revision set the projected cost at EUR34.4 billion (based on 2012 prices), including EUR19.8 billion for construction, EUR8.8 billion for 100 years of operations, EUR4.1 billion for taxes, and EUR1.7 billion for miscellaneous costs.
The most recent estimate has broken down the costs into various phases. The construction and commissioning phase of Cigéo is now projected to cost between EUR7.9 billion and EUR9.6 billion, which includes design (excluding research and development), surface infrastructure, initial storage areas, taxes, and insurance. Upon commissioning in 2050, the facility is expected to incur an average annual cost of between EUR140 million and EUR220 million, covering ongoing operations, construction, maintenance, and refurbishment over about 100 years, followed by a 20-year decommissioning and closure phase. The total cost of these phases is estimated to range from EUR16.5 billion to EUR25.9 billion, including taxes and insurance. Additionally, research and development costs, including the operation and closure of the underground laboratory, are projected to be between EUR1.7 billion and EUR2 billion.
Andra clarified that the 2025 costing file is consistent with Cigéo's updated provisional timeline, which accounts for the additional time required to complete preliminary design studies and the preparation of the creation permit application. The receipt of the first waste packages is expected in 2050, subject to the issuance of the creation authorisation decree in late 2027 or early 2028.
The cost decree, expected by the end of 2025, will serve as a key reference for the continuation of the project, Andra noted, providing waste producers with the necessary guidelines for their financial contributions toward waste management.
