Safe and Sustainable Fuel Cycle Back-End

The Czech Republic is now at the stage of deciding the next steps to ensure the safe and economically justified end of the nuclear fuel cycle as well as the next stage of looking for a suitable site for a deep geological repository (DGR), respectively geological disposal facility (GDF).  Neighbouring states and other European Union countries are addressing the same matter.  The aim of this international conference was to exchange knowledge and experience of preparing and implementing a DGR for the direct storage of spent nuclear fuel and highly-active waste, as well as further options of how to make a nuclear fuel cycle back-end in the most effective and safe manner.  Day 1 focused on the current status of individual national programmes, and Day 2 aimed to inspire experts, representatives of all levels of public administration to stipulate the back-end of a fuel cycle even in countries with a smaller nuclear energy programme in the sustainable way, particularly in the light of the conclusions of the climate summit in Katowice – stabilising greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere by safeguarding the neutrality of the calculated equivalent of carbon dioxide emissions indigenous out of the European Union (EU) territory by 2050.  Many countries – the Czech Republic among them – are to maintain or even increase the power energy production from nuclear installations in order to have a sufficient contribution to such a common EU Member States commitment.

The lecturers from Europe as well as overseas included the European Commission DG Energy Director Dr Massimo Garriba and the US DoE RWM and SNF Deputy Vice-Minister Dr William Boyle as well as experts on RWM and SNF from ČEZ, ORANO, NNL, NAGRA, BGE, ANDRA and SÚRAO, PURAM, ARAO, Romania, Slovakia and some public relations heads of communication, too!

A summary of the conference, the presentations, book of abstracts, and photos are all available on the conference website at https://ssfc2019.cz/en/

The event was organised under the auspices of the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Czech Parliament House of Deputies Economic Committee.