From 22nd to 24th March 2017 the KONTEC 2017 - 13th international symposium "Conditioning of radioactive operational and decommissioning waste" including the 13th status report of the BMBF "Decommissioning and dismantling of nuclear facilities" took place in the MARITIM Hotel & International Congress Center Dresden.

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With over 1000 participants from 20 nations and 84 exhibiting companies at 75 exhibition stands and over 1,200 m2 of exhibition space, KONTEC 2017 was one of the most successful in its series of events since 1993.

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The KONTEC Symposium has been held every two years since 1993 in the spring and brings together plant specialists, plant manufacturers, service providers, experts and official representatives to exchange information and experience. After the first KONTEC events from 1993 to 1999 in the Congress Center Hamburg (CCH), in the course of which KONTEC established itself as an international conference and the conference program was expanded to include the subject of the decommissioning of nuclear facilities, with a focus on the conditioning of radioactive operational and decommissioning waste. KONTEC moved its conference location to Berlin from 2001 to 2005 and took place there in the ESTREL Residence and Conference Hotel. Since 2007, KONTEC has been meeting in the MARITIM Hotel & International Congress Center Dresden. Since 2003, the status report of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research BMBF on the research projects funded there has been integrated into the KONTEC conference program under the title "Decommissioning and Dismantling of Nuclear Facilities".

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On Wednesday, March 22, 2017 at 10 a.m., Mr. Michael Szukala, Chairman of the KONTEC Program Committee, opened KONTEC 2017 and emphasized, among other things, the strongest international participation in the technical exhibition since the beginning of the symposium series 24 years ago. The format of the KONTEC, with only plenary lectures, the KONTEC DIRECT short lectures, the poster presentations and the KONTEC CAMPUS characterize the attractive image of the symposium and thus invite intensive communication between the speakers, participants and exhibitors.

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After the opening of the symposium, Ms. Sabine Diehr from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research BMBF spoke the greetings for KONTEC 2017. Ms. Diehr emphasized the great need for well-trained specialists in Germany to meet the future challenges in the field of dismantling and disposal of nuclear facilities in Germany to be able to continue to master the internationally recognized quality for our country. The new BMBF research program "FORKA - Research for the dismantling of nuclear facilities" was presented. Companies, universities and research institutes were asked to inform themselves. The project management agency GRS, which supports the BMBF with FORKA, is available as a contact person.

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One focus of FORKA is the promotion of young scientists. In this context, Ms. Diehr expressly welcomed KONTEC's commitment to promoting young talent (KONTEC CAMPUS). Together with the commissioned project management agency GRS, the BMBF will continue to participate in the program design of KONTEC with contributions from the funding programs. Due to the abrupt exit decision by the federal government after the Fukushima event, there is an enormous need for planning and investment in Germany due to the many dismantling projects to be carried out at the same time. At the same time, there are major technical challenges for those involved in the project. The KONTEC 2017 symposium made a valuable contribution to solving the upcoming tasks in connection with dismantling, the disposal of radioactive waste and its interim and final storage. This also included a broad discussion about recent developments in the field of dismantling technology. The growing complexity of the specialist area and the importance of international dialogue as a valuable part of building up experience and knowledge was further taken into account at KONTEC 2017 through a further increase in the participation of international companies with specialist contributions in the individual main subject areas.

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The KONTEC 2017 conference program for the 4 overarching topic groups

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• Disposal of radioactive residues from the operation, decommissioning and dismantling of nuclear facilities

• Decommissioning and dismantling of nuclear facilities

• Plants and systems for the treatment and packaging of operational and decommissioning waste

• Transport, interim and final storage of non-heat-generating waste

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informed the participants in interesting and technically well-founded plenary lectures (38) and poster presentations (57), of which 16 posters were also presented in 10-minute short lectures as part of the "KONTEC DIREKT short lectures in words & pictures" format, about experiences, the latest developments and Trends from science and industry in the field of dismantling technology.

As an important part of the event series that has proven its worth since the beginning of KONTEC 2017, a technical exhibition was held at the same time and in the immediate vicinity of the large lecture room on more than 1200 m2, at which 84 companies from 10 nations presented their range of products and services at 75 exhibition stands from the industry presented and invited to dialogue.

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Intensive dialogue between experts at the technical exhibition

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As part of the KONTEC CAMPUS "Companies promote young people in nuclear technology" - a program that has been held at KONTEC since 2009 and is organized 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, head of the project for promoting young talent - thanks to the support of 12 well-known companies in the industry, more than 20 students were able to take part in the event at KONTEC 2017 free of charge . After an informative introductory round at the start of the KONTEC CAMPUS, 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 23, 2017, the "KONTEC 2017 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.

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The following contributions received awards in the context of the KONTEC 2017 Best Paper Award:

Best plenary lecture: "Improving a separation process for treating the secondary waste from water-abrasive suspension cutting technology" by Ms. Carla-Olivia Krauß from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).

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Best KONTEC DIREKT short lecture: "Experiences in the dismantling, decontamination and the release of thick-walled casks and containers" by Mr. Philipp Diekmann from GNS Gesellschaft für Nuklear-Service mbH.

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Best poster: "Implementation of the ESK guideline in the VKTA - Radiation Protection, Analysis & Disposal Rossendorf eV" by Mrs. Sabine Fleck from VKTA Dresden.

On Friday, March 24, 2017 at noon, Mr. Michael Szukala, Chairman of the KONTEC Program Committee, spoke the closing words and presented the winners of the KONTEC 2017 Best Paper Award with their book prizes and certificates. Mr. Szukala thanked the participants, exhibitors and in particular the speakers for their valuable contributions and said goodbye with reference to the date for KONTEC 2019 in the MARITIM Hotel & International Congress Center Dresden from 27.-29. March 2019.

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Current information on future KONTECs from mid-June 2017 www.kontec-symposium.de/ .

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