EURAD

After decades of research and development (R&D) in support of safe management, including radioactive waste disposal, as well as preparatory work for the recent EU JOPRAD project, the European Joint Radioactive Waste Management Program (EURAD) has been developed for coordination of activities according to agreed priorities and common interests between European radioactive waste management organizations, technical support organizations and research institutions.

This joint program complements national research and development programs. This is a logical next step in deepening cooperation between European subjects in the field of radioactive waste management. The program is based on existing and new networks of European entities (IGD-TP, SITEX and REs network) that preceded this program (in particular, SecIGD2, SITEX-II and JOPRAD projects).

The joint program will generate and manage knowledge to support EU Member States in their implementation of Directive 2011/70 / Euratom (Waste Directive), taking into account the different levels and stages of development of Member States' national programs. This includes supporting Member States in developing and implementing national R&D programs for the safe long-term management of a full range of different types of radioactive waste through participation in a joint program, in particular on:

  • spent fuel, high-level and long-lived radioactive waste, as well as support for research related to the phased introduction of geological disposal;
  • strengthening knowledge management and transfer between organizations, Member States and generations.

By today, 51 organizations and 23 countries have gathered to work together on the EURAD project. The project is designed for 5 years.

Chornobyl Research and Development Institute has been identified as the project coordinating unit. Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology and the Institute of Environmental Geochemistry of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine together with Chornobyl Research and Development Institute participate in two of the fourteen EURAD areas:

  • WP-7: Influence of temperature on the behavior of clay-based materials (HITEC)
  • WP-8: Characterization of spent fuel and its evolution to disposal (SFC).

More about the EURAD project at the link: https://www.ejp-eurad.eu/about-eurad