The necessity to dispose of radioactive waste in deep geologic formations in order to provide a management solution which is safe in the long term without requiring active measures in the future is no longer debated amongst decision makers and the interested public. In fact, it is necessary that Germany meets international standards in all matters concerning radioactive waste disposal. There are, however, still varying views concerning the choice of a suitable disposal site as well as with regard to the assignment of responsibilities in the future.

The Institute of Disposal Research (IELF) which was founded on August 1, 2007, is the only university institute in Germany dealing with the issue in research and education in a comprehensive way.

Interdisciplinary research concerning site characterisation, site investigation, geotechnical barrier systems, and safety cases takes place in the areas of

• Geochemistry-mineralogy-salt deposits
• Geomechanics (co-opted department)
• Hydrogeology and Hydrogeochemistry (Institute for Geology and Paleontology)
• Mineral resources
• Repository systems

The Institute of Disposal Research follows on from the earlier Institute of Mineralogy and Mineral Resources. The departments of "Mineralogy, Geochemistry and Salt Deposits" as well as "Mineral Resources" continue along the lines of their previous expertise. The current focus of research is the petrology of the upper mantle and deep crust, and the economic geology and exploration of mineral deposits, respectively.

With regard to academic education, IELF focuses at the national level on the Master Course ‘Radioactive and Hazardous Waste Management’ and at the EU level on the EURATOM-based master programme ENEN-II (European Network of Nuclear Engineering).

We also teach on mineralogy, geochemistry and economic geology for various curricula on mining, mineral extraction, energy and geoenvironmental sciences, and participate in BSc and MSc training in economics and environmental engineering.

Transversal Project 1 (Spokesmen Project):

• WP 1.1: Integration, Coordination and Communication
• WP 1.2: Interdisciplinary Synthesis and Assessment

Transversal Project 4 (Interdisciplinary Risik Research):

• WP 4.1: Long-time Security of Deep Geological Storages

Vertical Project 5 (Final Disposal in Deep Geological Formations without Options for Retrieval):

• WP 5.3: Numeric Modelling of THMC-Processes

• Prof. Dr. Klaus-Jürgen Röhlig
• Prof. Dr. Kurt Mengel
• Dipl.-Geol. Saleem Chaudry
• M.Sc. Javad Ghofrani
• Amala Leinemann
• Dr. Xiaoshuo Li
• M.A. Karin Petereit
• Dr. Elmar Plischke

Website of the Institute of Disposal Research at the Clausthal University of Technology