Kontec 2019
Kontec 2019
With the 14th KONTEC (International Symposium on "Conditioning of radioactive operational and decommissioning waste) in connection with the status report of the BMBF on "Decommissioning and Dismantling of Nuclear Facilities" from March 27th to 29th, 2019 in the Congress Center of the Maritim Hotel in Dresden again that the conference, which has existed since 1993, has been recognized by the industry as the leading German trade fair for nuclear waste disposal.
The symposium, which has been growing steadily since 1993, was very popular in 2019 with almost 1,300 participants from 23 nations in Europe, Asia, Africa, America and North America and 86 exhibiting companies on an area of more than 1,280 square meters.
Since the first event with just a few participants, it has quickly developed into a popular meeting place in the nuclear industry . In the meantime, KONTEC has become a magnet for all important national and international companies and institutions that essentially focus on the conditioning of radioactive operational and decommissioning waste and on the dismantling of reactor systems. The symposium takes place every two years in the spring and brings together plant specialists, plant manufacturers, service providers, researchers, experts and official representatives to exchange information and experience.
KONTEC offers the appropriate platform for the topic of interim and final storage , in which the status report of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research BMBF on the research projects entitled "Decommissioning and Dismantling of Nuclear Facilities" is embedded.
On Wednesday, March 27, 2019 at 10:00 a.m., Mr. Olaf Oldiges, Chairman of the KONTEC Program Committee, opened KONTEC 2019 and addressed, among other things, the still open questions relating to the plannable production of waste packages suitable for final disposal. In particular, the difficult to see progress in the standardization of product control procedures and the still far too low staffing among those involved in the procedure on the part of the authorities give cause for concern that when the repository is planned to open in 2027, there will actually be significant emplacement volumes for the KONRAD repository are ready. However, the current situation in Germany, where around 20 reactor plants are currently being dismantled or the relevant approval applications have been submitted, allows us to look to the future with optimism.
After the opening of the symposium, Ms. Sabine Diehr from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) spoke the words of welcome to KONTEC 2019. The development of nuclear energy is still calling for changes today. According to Ms. Diehr, changes in attitude and perspective can be achieved through movement. Looking at the world with openness and confidence: this should be the main message from everyone involved - this is an essential part of research. The FORKA program (research for the dismantling of nuclear facilities) has resulted in a whole series of research projects in which scientists and companies work together. The "Research meets Industry" forum, which was held for the first time in conjunction with the KONTEC program committee, was well attended. A total of 15 participants from university and institutional research invited to a "speed dating" with industry. Research projects, applications and possible collaborations sparked interest and lively discussion over coffee and cake.
This year, KONTEC once again offered visitors, specialist exhibitors and speakers plenty of time and space for the exchange of technical know-how, as well as for networking and intensifying business contacts. The main focus of the symposium is the exchange of specialist knowledge in direct discussions as well as in the lectures - be it plenary lectures, KONTEC DIREKT or posters. A total of 86 companies took the opportunity to present their latest products and services in the 1,288 square meter trade exhibition.
The program committee attaches particular importance to a professionally balanced program of high-quality lectures. The KONTEC 2019 program was put together in three major subject areas. Section 1 dealt with "Facilities and technologies for the dismantling and for the treatment and packaging of operational and decommissioning waste", while Section 2 dealt with "Disposal, interim and final storage and transport of radioactive waste from operation, decommissioning and dismantling of nuclear facilities". and Section 3 dealt with the "decommissioning and dismantling of nuclear facilities". At KONTEC 2019, 43 speakers had the opportunity to give their 20-30 minute presentation to an interested audience in the large plenary hall. For the foreign participants of the event, the plenary lectures were translated into English by simultaneous translators.
The winner of the "Best Plenary Award" will be determined on June 28, 2019 at the review meeting of the program committee in Hamburg. The award includes an exclusive free ticket to KONTEC 2021. In another format, the KONTEC DIREKT - short presentations in words and pictures, which is only available in this form at KONTEC, experts from research and industry were given the opportunity to present their poster to a smaller audience in a 10-minute short presentation Present the content of the submitted contribution. KONTEC DIREKT thus offered around 20 speakers the opportunity to digitally present their poster presentation in detail to up to 60 listeners.
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Addendum autumn 2019:
Best Plenary Award -
Axel Bühl and Frank Bolles from EnBW Kernkraft GmbH
with "Dismantling of the EnBW nuclear power plants: The path from planning to operational dismantling"
Best Plenary Award -
dr Sebastian Bahl from Nuclear Waste Disposal Karlsruhe GmbH
with " Method for the separation of cesium and technetium from fission waste and their reuse and disposal "
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The winner of this year's " Best KONTEC DIREKT Short Presentation Award " with "Robot system for mapping nuclear facilities" is Dr.-Ing. Martin Brandauer from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).
In addition, around 60 poster presentations, an integral part of KONTEC, were presented. The “ Best Poster Award ” was won by Dr. Bastian Niedrée from the Jülich disposal company for nuclear plants mbH (JEN). "Mobile gas sampling and gas analysis of waste drums and Konrad containers" .
As part of the KONTEC CAMPUS "Companies promote young people in nuclear technology" - a project to promote young people that has been carried out at KONTEC since 2009 - 23 students were able to take part in the event free of charge at KONTEC 2019 thanks to the support of 12 well-known companies in the industry. For years it has been headed by Dr. Thomas Hassel, Head of the Underwater Technical Center Hannover at the Institute for Materials Science, Production Technology Center Hannover (UWTH) and member of the KONTEC program committee. After an informative introductory round at the start of the KONTEC CAMPUS and a meeting with Mrs. Sabine Diehr, guided tours through the trade exhibition took place, where the participating students and interested trade exhibitors could exchange ideas directly. In the course of past KONTEC CAMPUS projects, there have already been numerous cooperation agreements between participating companies and students.
At the very well-attended evening event on Thursday, March 28, 2019, the "KONTEC 2019 Banquet", on the terrace level of the MARITIM International Congress Center, interesting conversations were held in a pleasant atmosphere and with delicious food and drinks, discussions deepened and new contacts made.
On Friday, March 29, 2019 at noon, Mr. Olaf Oldiges, Chairman of the KONTEC Program Committee, spoke the closing words and presented the winners of the KONTEC 2019 Awards with their book prizes and certificates. Mr. Oldiges thanked the participants, trade exhibitors, in particular the speakers for their valuable contributions and those involved and said goodbye with reference to the date for KONTEC 2021 in the MARITIM Hotel & International Congress Center Dresden from 17.-19. March 2021.
Current information on future KONTECs www.kontec-symposium.de/
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