INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION AND PARTNERSHIPS AT THE HADES UNDERGROUND RESEARCH FACILITY (MOL, BELGIUM)

摘要

The HADES Underground Research Facility (URF) (Mol, Belgium) has played a central role inrnthe establishing of a scientific and technical basis for deep disposal in clay formations. As part ofrnthe Belgian repository development program, the Boom Clay has been investigated as a potentialrnhost rock for the geological disposal of long-lived and high-level radioactive waste and spentrnfuel. Within the Belgian repository development plan, emphasis in R&D has progressivelyrnshifted from the study of basic phenomena to the investigation of complex and interactingrnprocesses. In line with this evolution, large-scale demonstration projects have becomernincreasingly important. The Belgian URF is now being extended and this development opens uprnperspectives for planning new in situ experiments and intensifying international co-operation.rnThis paper gives an overview of the objectives of international co-operation in the HADESrnfacility and outlines a number of key areas where progress in repository development can bernachieved through collaborative efforts.