To provide the opportunity to exchange knowledge and to provide training in the necessary skills for working underground and for the safe disposal of radioactive waste in general, Nagra established the Grimsel Training Centre (GTC) in 2017, as a permanent platform.
Facing the long-lasting programmes of the radioactive waste management, training the next generation of radioactive waste management scientists was identified by many organisations as one major challenge for the next few years and decades.
To meet the various needs of training and knowledge transfer, the GTC team developed a programme which allows both tailor-made and established courses repeated every two or three years. Also, the combination of more theoretical lectures and hands-on training renders this programme very attractive for various levels of experience and expertise. High quality and relevance of the courses is achieved by involving lecturers from the GTS partner organisations.
Upcoming courses will be announced soon. Some previous courses run by the GTC are listed below.
Data Management - Making Geoscientific Data FAIR*
PREVIOUS COURSE 2023 - 3 days @ Nagra, Wettingen
Data and data management tools are both expanding rapidly. The radioactive waste business is no exception. It is very important for scientists, engineers, and managers alike working in the radioactive waste management business to know how to handle large amounts of geological and geophysical data.
This course will teach participants the basics of data management systems, the different data types used in radioactive waste management and the concept of metadata (including searchability, accessibility, localizability). Participants will also gain familiarity by performing exercises using Nagra’s data management tools.
*FAIR: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable
In-situ Testing and Hydraulic Characterisation in URL
PREVIOUS COURSE 2023 - 6 days @ GTS, Grimsel
Nagra offers a 6-day workshop at the Grimsel Test Site (GTS) on in-situ rock characterisation in underground rock laboratories (URLs). The participants will get hands-on experience on URL field research methods such as handling drill cores, borehole fluid logging and hydraulic testing. The testing will be done in existing boreholes in low permeable and fractured rock.
The course aims to impart both theoretical and practical knowledge. The acquired skills shall help the participants in planning, tendering and carrying out field experiments in URLs. To a certain degree, the imparted topics are translatable to site investigations in general.
From RD&D requirements to in-situ Experiments – How to design and setup URL experiments
PREVIOUS COURSE - 2022
This course will teach participants how to manage and design URL experiments ranging from relatively small experiments with one or two boreholes up to large scale experiments testing and demonstrating the performance of EBS component(s). The use of radioactive tracers in URL experiments (input for safety cases) will also be covered in the course, as well as lessons learned from designing and running URL experiments at Swiss URLs.
Site Selection of Deep Geological Repositories
Module 1: Processes and Methodologies
Module 2: Geological and Geophysical Data Collection
PREVIOUS COURSE - 2022
This course is divided into two modules. Although both modules are linked it is possible for participants to attend one module only.
Module 1: This module will familiarize participants with the main approaches used for selecting sites for radioactive waste repositories. It will include an overview of Nagra’s own experience and recent staged approach starting from a ‘white’ map. Site selection programmes developed in other countries from around the world will also be evaluated and compared from both technical and social-political points of views. Participants will also learn about important lessons learned and key aspects to be considered when designing a site-selection programme.
Module 2: This module will teach about data collection techniques mainly from surface based geophysics and borehole investigations.