Czech ‘Josef’ Underground Lab Near Vltava Simulates Nuclear Waste Storage

The former gold‑mining shaft known as the Josef tunnel, located near the village of Čelina by the Vltava River, has been transformed into a state‑of‑the‑art underground research facility. Operated by the Centre for Experimental Geotechnics of the Faculty of Civil Engineering at the Czech Technical University in Prague, the lab enables in‑situ experiments on geological barriers for the permanent disposal of spent nuclear fuel.

The 8‑kilometre underground complex, situated about 100 m below the surface within a stable rock mass, also serves as a training ground for emergency‑response teams and supports studies in geotechnical engineering, underground construction, and geophysics. It has gained international recognition as a unique testing ground for nuclear safety and deep‑ground infrastructure development in the Czech Republic.