Research and development related to deep geological repository (DGR) projects can always benefit from wider exchanges and collaboration within the international community. The sharing of facilities, for example, is a cost-effective way to maintain and further strengthen the technological capabilities of national waste disposal programmes.
In this context, the NEA and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) co-organised an online International Workshop on Joint Utilisation of Underground Research Laboratories for Research and Development Projects. The event was held on 22 September 2021 with 130 delegates from 18 countries and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The workshop provided an overview of the existing national and international research and development programmes involving underground research laboratories. The participants then discussed the role of underground research laboratories in deep geological disposal development, as well as the challenges in building new underground research facilities.
Participants agreed that developing those resources domestically involves substantial investments in terms of both cost and time. Therefore, underground research facilities made available in other countries are invaluable resources particularly for those countries in early stages of the DGR decision-making process.
In 2022, NEA and METI will hold a subsequent in-person workshop in Horonobe, Japan for further discussion on international co-operation in underground research laboratories. Supported by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), the three-day workshop will also feature a technical visit to the Horonobe Underground Research Center in Hokkaido, Japan.