Objective
The multidisciplinary project will address key technical issues that must be tackled to support the implementation of planned geological disposal projects for higher-level radioactive wastes across the EU. Our current understanding of the impact of microbial metabolism on the safety of geological repositories remains tenuous, even though microorganisms may have controlling influences on wasteform evolution in situ, multibarrier integrity and ultimately radionuclide migration from the repository. This proposal targets a number of “high urgency” and “high importance” topics identified in the most recent IGD-TP Strategic Research Agenda, focusing specifically on the influence of microbial processes on waste forms and their behavior, and the technical feasibility and long-term performance of repository components. The project will bring together, for the first time, 15 European groups working on the impact of microbial processes on safety cases for geological repositories across the EU, focusing on key questions posed by waste management organisations. The emphasis will be on quantifying specific measureable impacts of microbial activity on safety cases under repository-relevant conditions, thus altering the current view of microbes in repositories and leading to significant refinements of safety case models currently being implemented to evaluate the long-term evolution of radwaste repositories. The integration of society and policy oriented studies in the project will also extend the impact of the project outside the scientific and technical domain, while a study of expert conceptualization, public perception and risk communication concerning microbial influences in geological disposal, will improve awareness of microbial issues on a broader level. The programme will help the EU claim international leadership in the understanding of the impact of microbial processes on geodisposal, and indeed other technological areas pertinent to the exploitation of the subsurface.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyother engineering and technologiesnuclear engineeringnuclear waste management
- natural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistry
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriology
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsmicroscopyelectron microscopy
- natural scienceschemical sciencesnuclear chemistryradiation chemistry
Programme(s)
- H2020-Euratom - Euratom Main Programme
- H2020-Euratom-1.8. - Ensure availability and use of research infrastructures of pan_european relevance
- H2020-Euratom-1.2. - Contribute to the development of solutions for the management of ultimate nuclear waste
- H2020-Euratom-1.3. - Support the development and sustainability of nuclear competences at Union level
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
169 03 Solna
Sweden
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Participants (14)
435 35 MOLNLYCKE
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
WA3 6AE Warrington
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1160 Bruxelles / Brussel
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SN2 1FL Swindon
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02150 Espoo
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1015 Lausanne
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46117 Liberec
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250 68 Husinec-Rez
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02151 Espoo
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18071 Granada
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01328 Dresden
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27160 Eurajoki
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27160 Eurajoki
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
M13 9PL Manchester
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