The conference brought together participants from regulatory/local government bodies, waste management organisations and public stakeholder communities to review current perspectives of geological repository development. Russell Walke from Quintessa acted as Technical Rapporteur on behalf of the NEA and drafted a synthesis report for the conference. The synthesis report is now available and is free to download on the NEA website.

In spite of the extended time frames needed for realising geological repository projects, the conference served to highlight the progress being made towards safe implementation in several countries. The nature of the challenges being faced evolves from strategy and planning through licence applications to managing large infrastructure projects. Each project is typically a “first of a kind” within each individual country, and each will face its own unique challenges. Nonetheless, international collaboration continues to help identify common themes, and to develop and disseminate good practice.