European Partnership on Radioactive Waste Management - 2

Project Information

EURAD-2

Grant agreement ID: 101166718

EC signature date 9 July 2024

Start date 1 October 2024

End date 30 September 2029

Funded under

• Euratom Research and Training Programme (EURATOM)

Total cost

€ 34 407 893,17

EU contribution

€ 20 000 000,00

Coordinated by

AGENCE NATIONALE POUR LA GESTION DES DECHETS RADIOACTIFS
France

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EURAD-2 (European Partnership on Radioactive Waste Management - 2)

Reporting period: 2024-10-01 to 2025-09-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Our Vision

With the European Joint Programme on Radioactive Waste Management EURAD a step change in European collaboration is envisaged towards safe radioactive waste management (RWM), covering all phases including predisposal and disposal, through the development of a robust and sustained science, technology and knowledge management programme that supports timely implementation of RWM activities and serves to foster mutual understanding and trust between Joint Programme participants.

EURAD-2 will support the implementation of the Waste Directive in EU Member States, taking into account the various stages of advancement of national programmes, the differences in capabilities and inventories.

Our goals are to:
- Support Member States in developing and implementing their national RD&D programmes, as reported to DG ENER for the safe long‐term management of their full range of different types of radioactive waste through participation in the RWM Joint Programme;
- Develop and consolidate existing knowledge for the safe start and operation of the first geological disposal facilities for spent fuel, high‐level waste, and other long‐lived radioactive waste, and supporting optimization linked with the stepwise implementation of geological disposal facilities;
- Building on the achievements of EURAD(-1) and PREDIS, maintain a knowledge management programme that enhances transfer of knowledge between organisations, Member States and generations.

EURAD-2 addresses the 3,500,000 m3 inventory of radioactive waste across European Union Member States, with a holistic approach covering all materials from very-low-level and low-level waste (> 90%) through high-level waste (0.2% in volume). The programme strives to have impacts that cover surface, shallow and deep geological disposal facilities, as well as pre-disposal and interim storage practices to provide Member States with better technologies and tools to demonstrate advancing waste management practices. This also includes aspects of sustainability, through use of better materials having a lower environmental footprint and supporting the waste hierarchy of avoiding and reduce radioactive waste streams.

As a co-funded European partnership, the programme must aim to assist Member States in reaching their RD&D requirements as implied by the Waste Directive 2011/70, while offering optimal value for money and by creating measurable impact. 21 Member States have given mandates to 52 organisations (20 as RE, 16 and TSO and 16 as WMO) to represent their countries in making impacts through the RD&D and KM programme of EURAD-2. 40% of the funding to implement EURAD-2 is coming from Member States’ representatives and end users who have a need for the project,and have prioritized their needs through the College activities to develop the implementation Work Packages.
EURAD-2 will directly provide outcomes that help Member States when we are:
- advancing knowledge, technologies and safety for disposal facilities for intermediate- and high-level waste
- using safety demonstrations through laboratory and field tests of materials and systems, coupled with up scaling and multi-scale modelling
- addressing cost assessments of technologies via life cycle cost assessments of materials and technologies used in EURAD-2
- evaluating waste inventories in the context of waste characterisation, WAC and the waste hierarchy principles taking into account future evolutions and technologies (accurate forecasting of inventories).
- utilizing key performance indicators to evaluate technology readiness levels and safety
- having cross-border collaboration that fosters shared solutions and internal international peer reviews among the EURAD-2 participants
- assisting countries develop concepts and plans they can deploy based on best practices from more advanced Member State programmes by having wide inclusiveness in EURAD-2,
- developing and deploying knowledge management tools that aid knowledge preservation and
- providing opportunities for competence development for existing staff and future generations, through involvement in the programme, especially with mobility and training activities.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The Partnership was successfully launched through a well-attended kick-off meeting that brought together more than 220 participants. This initial phase also included the signature of the Consortium Agreement by all 51 Beneficiaries and the establishment of both the End User Group and the stakeholder group. To ensure proper governance and coordination, three General Assemblies were organised along with five Bureau/PMO meetings, monthly meetings with WP Leaders, and bi-monthly PMO meetings. The External Advisory Board was established to provide independent oversight and guidance.


Work Packages were initiated with dedicated kick-off meetings . In parallel, the Mobility Programme and mentoring programme were launched, and the first workshops and surveys were organised to support WP activities. The first State-of-the-Art documents and the initial green papers were released. Overall, 15 of the 19 planned deliverables for the period were submitted, representing a 78% completion rate, along with 39 of the 53 planned milestones (73% achievement). Actions aimed at strengthening interactions with Civil Society Organisations (ICS) also commenced. This involved defining the criteria for forming the Civil Society larger group and holding the first ICS workshop to begin structured engagement.

Dissemination of EURAD-2’s progress started strongly with the publication of three newsletters reaching more than 1,000 recipients. The Partnership was also presented at 12 different events, conferences, and meetings. The internal communication among EURAD-2 partners was strengthened through the publication of seven factsheets clarifying roles and procedures, and an introductory webinar attended by 175 participants. To ensure the highest standards across the Partnership, a dedicated quality control webinar was organised, drawing 50 participants.

Finally, the process for selecting the second wave of Work Packages was implemented in a fair, robust, and transparent manner. The Terms of Reference were published earlier than originally planned, accompanied by templates made available on the EURAD-2 website. An information webinar, including a Q&A session, was organised to ensure all interested parties received the necessary guidance.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

N/A

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