9^th Conference on Clays in Natural and Engineered Barriers for Radioactive Waste Confinement (Clay Conference) 2024 in Hannover

Source: BGR/BGE

The federal company for radioactive waste disposal (BGE) in cooperation with the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) is organizing the "9^th International Conference on Clays in Natural and Engineered Barriers for Radioactive Waste Confinement" (Clay Conference for short) from November 25th to 28th, 2024 at the Hannover Congress Centrum (HCC). First organized in 2002 by the French agency ANDRA (Agence Nationale pour la Gestion des Déchets Radioactifs), the international conference offers experts from all over the world and from various disciplines and organizations a scientific platform to deal with various aspects of clay host rocks and barriers in the disposal of radioactive waste in clay and clay rocks and to exchange information on the progress of research in this field.

The aim of the Clay Conference series is to discuss the latest research findings on the properties and suitability of clay host rocks and clay-based geotechnical barriers, to compare knowledge internationally and to continuously deepen it.

Abstracts can still be submitted until March 26, 2024 and the registration is now open. Further information can be found on the conference website www.clayconference2024.de.

The conference will be held as a face-to-face event at HCC in Hanover and will focus on oral presentations and poster sessions. A supplementary supporting program with workshops and excursions is planned for 24th and 29th November. The conference language is English. Around 500 scientists from over 20 countries are expected to attend the 9th event in the conference series.

Clay rocks and bentonite barriers

The focus of the Clay Conference is clay as host rock for geological disposal of radioactive waste and the use of compacted swelling clays as an engineered barrier component. Considering design, construction, operation and post-closure, the Clay Conference provides a unique networking platform for sharing scientific and technological knowledge. This involves gathering together experienced specialists and newcomers from various disciplines related to clays, as well as scientists and technicians from organisations engaged in radioactive waste disposal or in other uses of the subsurface in which clay barriers play an important role.

We particularly encourage young scientists in all fields of nuclear safety and waste management to present their research findings at the Clay Conference 2024. The programme features a balanced mix of high-level keynote speeches, concurrent oral sessions and poster presentations, with ample time for informal contacts and lively discussions. It covers a wide range of topics related to natural argillaceous geological barriers and clay-based engineered barrier systems, including laboratory experiments on clay samples, in situ experiments in underground research laboratories, mock-up demonstrations, natural analogues, numerical modelling, system integration approaches and monitoring.