ITC School - Meiringen, Switzerland - Carbon Capture and Storage: what can be learned from 35 years in radioactive waste disposal

Carbon Capture and Storage: what can be learned from 35 years in radioactive waste disposal

Preliminary Programme

Carbon Capture and Storage: can anything be learned from 35 years experience in geological disposal of radioactive wastes ?

.. an informal workshop to discuss common issues

April 27th to 30th 2010, Meiringen, Switzerland

Online course registration is available here. Updated course program for download here 231 KB .

Objective

Geological disposal of radioactive wastes (GDRW) has taken more than 35 years of concept development and field and laboratory research to reach the point where deep repositories should be operating within the next few years: all of this has taken place on the back of a strategic, societal and political rollercoaster. The CCS field is comparatively in its infancy but is moving forward quickly and has considerable technical, political, societal and energy strategy parallels. Consequently it is likely to be exposed to some of the same issues and to tread some of the same paths as GDRW. While many in the CCS community see GDRW as an entirely unenviable analogue, it would seem unwise to ignore the lessons that might be learned – not only may there be something to be gained practically, but it may be possible to avoid some pitfalls. This workshop is intended to bring together experienced practitioners in the CCS and GDRW sectors in a completely informal, non-institutional environment to discuss their experiences and help identify what might be shared or learned. Discussions will be citable but non-attributable. The organizers will also endeavour to produce a written perspective on key outcomes, for publication.

Preliminary Course Programme

27th April
Morning	Arrival in Meiringen: trains from Zurich airport depart – arrive: 0947 – 1212; 1047 – 1312; 1147 – 1412
1230 – 1400	Informal Buffet LUNCH to suit varied arrival times
1400 – 1430	Registration
1430 – 1515	Introductions Objectives of the workshop Participants introduce themselves (2 minutes each)
1515 – 1600 1600 – 1645 1645 – 1745	Storage and Disposal Objectives: protection and containment aims and time-scales The radioactive waste perspective The CCS perspective Discussion
28th April
0900 – 0945 0945 – 1030 1030 – 1100 1100 – 1200	Safety Assessment: what are the impacts, when do they occur and how are they regulated? The CCS perspective The radioactive waste perspective Coffee Break Discussion
1200 - 1330	LUNCH
1330 – 1415 1415 – 1500 1500 – 1530 1530 – 1630	Strategy: how much material is involved, where and when is a solution really needed? The radioactive waste perspective The CCS perspective Coffee Break Discussion
1630 - 1730	Syndicate Discussions 1: similarities, differences and lessons
29th April
0900 – 0945 0945 – 1030 1030 – 1100 1100 – 1200	Legal and Political: international laws & conventions affecting transport, transfers & disposal/sequestration The CCS perspective The radioactive waste perspective Coffee Break Discussion
1200 - 1330	LUNCH
1330 – 1415 1415 – 1500 1500 – 1530 1530 – 1630	Technical: long-term fate of materials in the deep underground environment and the role of monitoring The radioactive waste perspective The CCS perspective Coffee Break Discussion
1630 - 1730	Syndicate Discussions 2: similarities, differences and lessons
30th April
0830 – 0915 0915 – 1000 1000 – 1030 1030 – 1130	Societal: public and community responses to local and national schemes - how are stakeholders involved? The CCS perspective The radioactive waste perspective Coffee Break Discussion
1130 – 1230	Closing Discussion Lessons, messages and reporting
1230 - 1330	Lunch
1330	Disperse: trains to Zurich airport depart – arrive: 1346 – 1613; 1446 – 1713; 1546 – 1813
1330 - 1630	Optional visit to the Grimsel underground rock laboratory Depending on participants interest and prevailing weather conditions, a visit will be arranged to the Grimsel Test Site, located in granite below the Grimsel pass, about 30 minutes from Meiringen

Application Form

Online course registration is available here.

Venue and Registration Fees

The workshop will be held in the tranquil and beautiful surroundings of Meiringen, located in the heart of the Swiss Alps, not far from Interlaken. Meiringen is easily accessible by rail from Zurich or Geneva airports (about a 2.5 hour journey) and is a small town famous, among other things, for its fictional connections with Sherlock Holmes – being overlooked by the Reichenbach Falls. The Hotel du Sauvage, at which the workshop will be held, is extremely comfortable and is centrally located, a few minutes walk from the railway station; the rooms have been completely modernised this year.

Depending on the level of interest, a post-workshop visit will be arranged to the nearby underground rock laboratory in the Grimsel pass, managed by the Swiss national radioactive waste agency, Nagra.

There is a registration fee of 780 CHF, payable in advance, which covers your hotel accommodation (3 nights), all meals, coffee breaks and workshop materials. Your registration is not secured until the fee has been received and you will be invoiced when we receive your on-line application. If you have to cancel before 26th March 2010, your fee is fully refundable.

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 03 March 2010 )

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Online course registration is available here.

Course Outline

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Carbon Capture and Storage: what can be learned from 35 years in radioactive waste disposal

Preliminary Programme

Carbon Capture and Storage: can anything be learned from 35 years experience in geological disposal of radioactive wastes ?

.. an informal workshop to discuss common issues

April 27th to 30th 2010, Meiringen, Switzerland

Online course registration is available here. Updated course program for download here 231 KB .

Objective

Geological disposal of radioactive wastes (GDRW) has taken more than 35 years of concept development and field and laboratory research to reach the point where deep repositories should be operating within the next few years: all of this has taken place on the back of a strategic, societal and political rollercoaster. The CCS field is comparatively in its infancy but is moving forward quickly and has considerable technical, political, societal and energy strategy parallels. Consequently it is likely to be exposed to some of the same issues and to tread some of the same paths as GDRW. While many in the CCS community see GDRW as an entirely unenviable analogue, it would seem unwise to ignore the lessons that might be learned – not only may there be something to be gained practically, but it may be possible to avoid some pitfalls. This workshop is intended to bring together experienced practitioners in the CCS and GDRW sectors in a completely informal, non-institutional environment to discuss their experiences and help identify what might be shared or learned. Discussions will be citable but non-attributable. The organizers will also endeavour to produce a written perspective on key outcomes, for publication.
Read more...

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