As requirements for managing Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) become stricter, GeoEnergy Consult supports affected mining and processing projects to achieve permits and to operate efficiently.
GeoEnergy Consult, based in Germany and also registered in Australia, supports mining and processing projects and operations affected by Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM), such as the mining of rare earths or further affected commodities.
NORM requirements have become increasingly stricter, driven by the insistent request for improved sustainability. Coping with this is increasingly important to get permitted and efficiently operating. To achieve this, specific challenges need to be overcome, like:
- Radiological safety of staff and public
- Prevention of site/facility contamination; and
- Prevention of liability risks etc.
Support of NORM-affected projects
Over the past years, certain NORM affected projects did not receive the necessary permits and could not be realised, because they failed to demonstrate the capability for encountering the specific requirements of future project phases. Therefore, strategic and technological advice is critical for:
- Operators – The key challenge here is employing capable solutions; only then responsible regulators can be convinced of permitting the proposed realisation;
- Investors – Through analysis of the feasibility of planned solutions for managing NORM, GeoEnergy Consult assess a projects’ worthiness to invest in (hidden technical risks, permitting likely, modification indicated?); and
- Regulators – The importance of mining and processing, e.g. for national economies, cannot be overestimated; however, benefits might be only temporary and projects could even turn into legacies, if NORM is managed inappropriately.
GeoEnergy Consult Collaboration
Over 20 years of in-depth competency, GeoEnergy Consult has achieved collaborations with prominent institutions such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), The World Bank, European Union and NUKEM Technologies.
For conceptualisation and optionally also for engineering and realisation, GeoEnergy Consult collaborates with a strong network of experienced partners: worldwide renowned engineering companies, who can supply the most capable up-to-date solutions – tailored to meet clients’ specific needs throughout the life-cycle.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
A. Strategic support
- Feasibility assessment
- Document/data review
- Permitting support
- Stakeholder communication
- Policy support
- Compliance verification
B. Technological support
- Radiation safety
- Radioecological monitoring
- Decontamination
- Waste processing and disposal
- Facility decommissioning
- Site remediation
