US-German Workshop on Salt Repository Research, Design, and Operation in Jackson (USA)

From May 25 to 28, 2010, the "US-German Workshop on Salt Repository Research, Design and Operation" took place in Jackson (Mississippi, USA). This workshop had been organized by the Sandia National Laboratories and the Mississippi State University (USA) with support by DBE TECHNOLOGY GmbH and, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economics and Technology, by the Projektträger Karlsruhe (PTKA-WTE).

In USA (New Mexiko), a repository for transuranium waste from military installations (WIPP, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant) is operated at a depth of 650 m in salt formations since 1999. Furthermore investigations are running to analyse further salt formations with regard to their suitability as host rocks for final disposal of radioactive waste. In Germany, repository research for salt formations has been accomplished for more than 40 years.

It was the objective of the workshop to intensify German-US-cooperation in the field of repository research for salt formations, to coordinate a potential research agenda of mutual interest and to leverage collective efforts for the benefits of the respective programs.

At the workshop, the current state of repository research for salt formations in Germany and the USA has been summarized. In 6 sessions, results for safety cases, modeling of groundwater flow and radionuclide transport, salt repository concepts and designs, geotechnical barriers and site and host rock characterization have been presented and discussed.

At the workshop, DBE TECHNOLOGY GmbH reported on the following issues:

• German concepts to dispose of nuclear waste
• Optimization of the direct disposal concept by vertical borehole emplacement of spent fuel elements
• An engineering approach for a safety concept for disposing of high level waste

For further information see http://www.sandia.gov/SALT/SALT_Home.html