NORM X conference
Project partners Siiri Salupere from Tartu University, Estonia and Iveta Novakova from UiT, Norway, attended NORM X conference held in Utrecht on May 9 - 13, 2022. The NORM X conference has a tradition of 25 years, and participants consist of researchers, company representatives, and representatives from authorities and policymakers. Such a composition of participants is unique and points towards the interest of all involved organs.
10. 05. 2022 Siiri gave a presentation about the ICONDE project in
the Session 19 „ENA: NORM Residue and Waste Management“. The connection of the ICONDE project to NORM is in the first place the use of oil shale ash (OSA), which is a waste stream from the oil shale energy power plants in Estonia. Most ashes origin from the incineration process have a higher probability of containing NORM, among the other elements. The level of NORM in OSA is monitored, and measured values are within limits, allowing further use of OSA. The second connection of the ICONDE project to this conference is the utilization of the above described OSA in concrete for hazardous waste storage, particularly low and intermediate radioactive waste.
The presentation was successful and was selected as the second best. Several questions from the audience followed and opened a rich discussion. The first question was in connection to chemical variation of OSA over time, and sensitivity / robust testing of concrete with OSA was suggested. The second question was more of comment concerning the reduction of ordinary portland cement by OSA. Partial replacement of ordinary portland cement by OSA prevents the occurrence of alkali-silica reaction, which is connected to alkalies in cement. The discussion which followed the presentation was valuable for ICONDE project, especially WP4.
Delegates Siiri and Iveta established valuable contacts with other research institutes and industry operating in the given field. Furthermore, connection with Ukrain researchers from Chornobyl and NTUB was established to search for Ukraine researchers who would potentially join the ICONDE project.
