
Jan 13 Multinational solution?
A number of European countries, which can see the potential of common waste solutions and knowledge sharing, have now formalised cooperation in the newly formed ERDO association.
D Over the past ten years, eight European countries have met in the so-called ERDO working group to discuss options and limitations in relation to the joint disposal of mainly long-lived radioactive waste. These are mainly smaller countries and all are in the early stages of finding a national waste solution. Therefore, it makes sense at the same time to explore the potential of a multinational final depot. In recent years, the Group has also been working on the possibility of finding common solutions for the prior treatment of waste.
Danish Decommissioning has actively participated in the ERDO working group since 2012 and has now taken the initiative, together with the Dutch Covra and Norsk Nuklear Dekommissionering, to formalise the cooperation in a proper association.
On 7 January 2021, the European Repository Development Organisation (ERDO) was established when the three companies signed the statutes at a Zoom meeting. The association will be headquartered at Covra, and the board consists of: Ewoud Verhoef (Netherlands, Chairman), Ole Kastbjerg Nielsen (Denmark, Vice-Chairman) and Håvard Kristiansen (Norway, Treasurer). Other countries are expected to join the association shortly, including Slovenia, Austria, Italy and Croatia.
"We have established a very good and constructive cooperation in the ERDO working group, which I now look forward to continuing in the ERDO association. We have initiated some exciting and relevant projects for Denmark on, among other things, the characterisation of historical waste and the potential of boreholes – they will continue in the new framework, just as I expect that new projects of particular interest to countries with small amounts of long-lived waste will be initiated in future cooperation. In addition to the specific projects, the ongoing sharing of knowledge and the exchange of experience is of great value," says the newly minted Vice-President Ole Kastbjerg Nielsen.
The association's first meeting will be a Zoom meeting on 15 January.
Read this brochure on the benefits and obligations of ERDO members