BGE TECHNOLOGY GmbH at the Waste Management Symposia 2026 in Phoenix

From 8 to 12 March 2026, BGE TECHNOLOGY GmbH (BGE TEC) participated in the Waste Management Symposia 2026 (WM2026) in Phoenix, USA. With more than 2,950 participants from approximately 30 countries and more than 900 technical presentations, panel discussions, and posters organised across twelve thematic areas, the conference is one of the central international platforms for the exchange of expertise in radioactive waste management and the decommissioning of nuclear facilities.

BGE TEC experts contributed to the conference across multiple formats, including oral presentations, poster contributions, panel discussions, and session organisation.

Technical Presentations and Posters

Tilman Fischer delivered an oral presentation on findings from the R&D project FUNGUS, which addresses fluid dynamic and mechanical investigations of the contact zone between a magnesia-based concrete and rock salt. Eric Simo presented a poster on thermo-hydraulic modelling of the HotBENT experiment, which addresses coupled processes in bentonite under extended thermal loading of up to 200°C.

Panel Contributions

Dr. Toivo Wanne participated as a panellist in the IAEA Special Session "Going Underground in a Geological Disposal Programme", co-chaired by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (ITA-AITES). The session brought together representatives of waste management organisations to discuss key stages of their respective programmes and the transition from scientifically oriented programmes towards engineering delivery. At the panel, Dr. Wanne discussed the German experience in the use of existing mines as repositories and the lessons learned from more than 50 years of operations. Tilman Fischer contributed to the IAEA panel on the coordinated research project that addresses the global state of knowledge on deep borehole disposal systems.

Session Organisation and Leadership

Dr. Thilo von Berlepsch organised and chaired several technical sessions, including "Geological Disposal of HLW, SNF/UNF and Long-lived Alpha/TRU", "Recent Developments in Underground Research Laboratory (URL) Activities", and a panel on "Progress on Deep Repository Programs Around the World". Tilman Fischer chaired the session "Developments in Deep Borehole Disposal Around the World". Further session support roles were fulfilled by BGE TEC colleagues across the conference programme.

Conference Takeaways

On the margins of the conference, BGE TEC met several partner organisations to review the current state of ongoing activities and prospects of potential future activities. 

BGE TEC's participation in WM2026 reflects the importance of sustained involvement in the international disposal community. The breadth of contributions — spanning geotechnical barrier research, bentonite modelling, and deep borehole disposal — is consistent with the range of technical activities currently under way at BGE TEC. The conference also provided an opportunity to follow developments in areas including the application of artificial intelligence in waste management and new approaches to waste processing, which are relevant to ongoing and planned research activities.