Impressions of the „Clay Conference 2024“, February 21, 2025

Source: BGR

A video shows impressions of the 9th international „Clay Conference“, which was organised by the Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal (BGE) in cooperation with the BGR in Hanover at the end of November 2024. The conference focussed on issues relating to clay host rocks and geotechnical barriers in the disposal of radioactive waste.

More than 460 participants from over 25 countries came together at the Congress Centrum Hannover. An introductory mini-lecture series on various issues relating to clay and clay rocks, followed by an icebreaker event, prepared the participants for the scientific part of the conference. The participants presented and discussed the latest research and development findings on clay and clay rocks as geotechnical barriers and host rocks. 130 oral and 220 poster presentations were given.

Important topics of the conference were national case studies from Germany, Switzerland and Great Britain, geological-mineralogical characterization of clays and clay rocks, modelling of coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical-chemical processes, construction and operation of repository mines. The focus was also on the topic of digitalisation with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality.

The Conference also offered an extensive scientific supporting programme. Following the conference, the BGR gave participants guided tours of its laboratories and organised workshops and seminars.
The 10th International Conference will be jointly organised by the waste management organisations from Belgium, ONDRAF/NIRAS, and the Netherlands, COVRA, under the new name ‘CLAYRAD’ in spring 2027.

Video: Impressions of the „Clay Conference 2024“: A look back