Irina Gaus elected to Nagra’s Executive Board
Nagra's Board of Directors has appointed Irina Gaus as Head of the Optimisation Division and member of the Executive Board. She will take over her new responsibilities from 1st January 2023. With Irina Gaus, a proven leader and distinguished scientist is taking over the continuous improvement of the project of the century of deep geological disposal of radioactive waste.
Irina Gaus has worked for Nagra (National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste) since 2007. She is Nagra’s Head of Research and Development and is also responsible for interdisciplinary national and international projects. She has a doctorate in hydrogeology and is a recognised expert in the development of deep geological repositories. In her new role, Gaus will be responsible for optimising the repository project with a particular view to long-term safety, construction and cost.
Following the announcement of the siting proposal for the deep geological repository in September 2022, this project of the century will enter the licensing and construction planning phase. Nagra will now concentrate primarily on preparing the general licence application, which is to be submitted in 2024. At the same time, the coming years will be used to optimise the technical details of the repository. “By taking these steps, we can ensure that the best and most modern technology will be available to us when construction of the access facilities is scheduled to start around ten years from now,” explains Irina Gaus and adds: “We are working on developing a digital environment that combines all the analyses and evaluations related to safety, construction and cost. This will allow us to optimise the repository. I look forward to accepting this challenge together with my team. We will continue our research and keep learning – and eventually construct a state-of-the art repository.”
From 1st January 2023, Nagra’s Executive Board will consist of the following members:
Matthias Braun, CEO
Markus Fritschi, Deputy CEO
Maurus Alig, Coordinator Major Project Sectoral Plan Stage 3 / General Licences
Reto Beutler, Division Head Finance, Controlling & Human Resources
Irina Gaus, Division Head Optimisation
Philipp Senn, Division Head Communication & Public Affairs
Severin Wälchli, Division Head Planning & Construction
Tim Vietor, Division Head Safety, Geology & Radioactive Materials
Further information: Patrick Studer, Head of Nagra’s Media Office: 076 579 36 50, medien@nagra.ch
Similar articles
What does Switzerland think about the deep geological repository?
Switzerland is confident that it can realise the project of the century of deep geological disposal. A recent, representative survey shows that acceptance is high across the whole of Switzerland and in the affected region.
“In the world of research, this is not a given…”
Her job is never boring: geomechanics expert Eleonora Crisci shares what she particularly likes about the project of the century of deep geological disposal.
“The disposal issue can be solved – that is motivating”
“We need a solution,” says PSI scientist Maria Marques Fernandes with conviction. “That is why this is one of the most important tasks a researcher can have at the moment.”