(CNN) China is building a laboratory up to 560 meters (1,837 feet) underground in the middle of the Gobi desert to carry out tests on nuclear waste, officials have confirmed.

The facility, in remote Beishan, Gansu province, will be used by scientists and engineers to test the suitability of the area for the long-term storage of the highly radioactive waste generated by nuclear power plants. Construction begins next year and will finish by 2024.

"We are doing research into this project and it will soon be put into practice," said Liu Hua, head of the National Nuclear Safety Administration, during a press conference on Tuesday.

The site was selected in Gansu because it presents ideal conditions to prevent leaks: there is no seismic activity nearby and the bedrock the lab will be housed in is made of granite, which reduces the risk of groundwater seepage or fractures, according to a paper published in The Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering last year.

Construction begins next year, with the facility expected to be completed by 2024. Research will be carried out until 2040 -- and if the results are positive, a long-term storage facility will be built.

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