In cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the ITC School (School of Underground Waste Storage and Disposal), the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), and the Clausthal University of Technology, DBE TECHNOLOGY GmbH hosted an international training course on the "Fundamentals of Geological Disposal in Sedimentary Environments" in Peine from October 26 to November 4, 2009.

Throughout the world, geological disposal is considered to be the only safe and permanent solution for the management of long-lived radioactive waste. The training course was part of the IAEA Network Programme with the objective to preserve the knowledge gained and the technologies developed in countries with mature programmes and to share this expertise with countries just starting to develop their programmes on radioactive waste management.

The contents of the training course were a further development and thematic extension of a similar training course hosted by DBE TECHNOLOGY GmbH in 2007.

During the 8-day training course in Peine, 15 tutors presented the current state of the art in science and technology in the field of final disposal of radioactive waste to an audience of 20 participants who had been sent by the national radioactive waste management authorities of 17 countries. One main topic of the training course comprised the hydrogeological and geomechanical properties of various rock formations that are principally suitable for the final disposal of radioactive waste. Further topics were safety assessment methodology in sedimentary environments, the technical fundamentals of geological disposal, and social aspects of repository siting and development. In addition to this, the experience gained in the development of the well-advanced German waste management concept and in projects in France, UK, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic was presented.

The presentations given by DBE TECHNOLOGY GmbH addressed the following issues:

• Engineering properties of clay and marl formations

• Engineering properties of salt and anhydrite formations

• Repository design and operational considerations in clay and salt formations

• Design and operational requirements of repository systems and waste handling equipment

• Geotechnical monitoring of backfilling operations in the Morsleben repository

• Repository evolution in clay environments

• Limestone-marl: Richard repository, Czech Republic

• Monitoring of deep geological repositories for high level waste:

  • Objectives and strategies

  • Methods and techniques

To view the corresponding presentations click on "Publications".

Complementing the lectures, the licensed Konrad repository and the Gorleben exploration mine were visited. Furthermore, vehicles and other equipment specifically designed and tested for the underground transport and the handling of disposal casks at the Konrad repository were shown.

At the end of the training course, all parties involved rated the course a great success.