Day Two ConferenceThursday, 1 April 2027

Key Discussion Areas:

• NORM in rare earths, uranium co-occurrence, and by‑products
• Strategic importance for energy transition materials
• Tailings and residues as secondary resources

Overview:

This panel will examine the increasingly important intersection between NORM management and the growing global demand for critical and strategic raw materials that will be required for the energy transition, advanced technologies, and industrial resilience. Panel leaders will encourage participants to explore how NORM-bearing ores, residues, tailings, and process by-products will become central to discussions on resource security, supply chain diversification, and sustainable mineral development. The discussion will recognise that many of the resources considered critical today—including rare earth elements and other strategic minerals—are frequently associated with naturally occurring radionuclides, creating both challenges and opportunities for industry and regulators.

A key objective of the session will be to assess whether materials traditionally regarded as waste streams can be re-evaluated as potential secondary resources. Panellists will examine the technical, economic, and regulatory feasibility of recovering valuable metals and critical raw materials from tailings, residues, and legacy waste deposits, whilst maintaining robust standards of radiological protection and environmental stewardship. Particular attention will be given to the role that historical mining and processing residues may play in strengthening resource independence and reducing reliance on primary extraction.

The panel will also explore the importance of scientific characterisation and risk assessment in enabling the safe recovery and utilisation of NORM-bearing materials. Participants will discuss how advances in analytical techniques, resource mapping, radiological characterisation, and process technologies will improve understanding of both resource potential and associated risks. The session will encourage a balanced perspective that recognises the need to manage radiological hazards effectively whilst avoiding unnecessary barriers to resource recovery where risks can be demonstrated to be low and manageable.

An important area of discussion will focus on how regulatory frameworks will support the development of critical raw material value chains without compromising safety. Panellists will consider whether existing regulations will adequately reflect the realities of modern resource recovery and circular economy strategies, particularly where residues and by-products contain both economically valuable materials and naturally occurring radionuclides. The discussion will identify opportunities for risk-informed, science-based approaches that will facilitate innovation, investment, and sustainable resource use whilst maintaining public and environmental protection.

The panel will further examine the contribution that NORM management will make to circular economy objectives. Participants will explore how the recovery of critical materials from residues, tailings, and by-products will reduce waste generation, minimise long-term liabilities, improve resource efficiency, and contribute to more sustainable industrial systems. Examples of successful projects, emerging technologies, and innovative business models will be discussed as potential pathways for transforming legacy liabilities into strategic assets.

Finally, the session will address broader societal and geopolitical considerations, including increasing demand for secure supply chains, environmental expectations associated with primary mining, and the need for sustainable sourcing of critical materials. The discussion will explore how the responsible management and valorisation of NORM-bearing materials will contribute simultaneously to resource security, environmental sustainability, industrial competitiveness, and public confidence.

The overall objective of the panel will be to identify how NORM management will evolve from a predominantly waste-focused activity into a strategic component of critical raw material value chains, demonstrating that resource recovery, circularity, and radiological protection are not competing objectives but mutually reinforcing elements of a sustainable and resilient resource strategy.

Key Discussion Areas:

• Real-world valorization examples
• Business models and partnerships
• Lessons learned from pilots and scale-up

Overview:

This panel will focus on practical experience and real-world implementation of NORM management and valorisation projects, providing an opportunity for industry leaders, technology providers, regulators, and investors to share lessons that will be learned across the entire project lifecycle. Panel leaders will encourage an open and balanced discussion that goes beyond success stories, examining not only achievements but also the technical, regulatory, financial, and societal challenges that will have influenced project outcomes. Particular emphasis will be placed on understanding why some initiatives will have successfully progressed from concept to commercial operation whilst others will have encountered delays, failed to scale, or proved economically unsustainable.

A key objective of the session will be to capture practical insights from demonstrated projects involving the treatment, reuse, recycling, recovery, or beneficial utilisation of NORM-bearing residues and materials. Participants will discuss the factors that will have enabled implementation, including technology selection, characterisation strategies, stakeholder engagement, regulatory approvals, market development, and risk management approaches. The discussion will also address common obstacles such as regulatory uncertainty, permitting challenges, public acceptance concerns, financing constraints, technical limitations, and difficulties in establishing viable end markets for recovered materials.

The panel will encourage participants to critically evaluate the commercial dimension of NORM valorisation. Discussion will focus on the business models that will have proven effective in transforming waste streams and long-term liabilities into valuable resources. Particular attention will be given to the economic drivers underpinning successful projects, including resource recovery opportunities, avoided disposal costs, liability reduction, circular economy incentives, and integration into existing industrial value chains. Panellists will be invited to discuss how project economics will evolve as operations move from pilot scale to full commercial deployment, and what conditions will be necessary to attract sustained investment.

An important area of discussion will be the role of partnerships and collaborative approaches in overcoming implementation barriers. Participants will explore how cooperation between industry operators, technology developers, regulators, research institutions, investors, and local communities will help reduce risk and accelerate deployment. Examples of successful public-private partnerships, industrial symbiosis arrangements, cross-sector collaborations, and international initiatives will be examined to identify replicable approaches that can be adapted to different jurisdictions and industrial sectors.

The session will also explore the significance of scientific evidence and risk-informed decision-making in supporting project development. Panellists will discuss how robust characterisation, environmental assessments, radiological evaluations, and life-cycle analyses will have contributed to building regulatory confidence and stakeholder acceptance. The objective will be to identify practical methods for demonstrating safety, sustainability, and economic viability whilst ensuring transparency and maintaining public trust.

The discussion will ultimately focus on identifying the critical success factors that will distinguish commercially viable projects from those that remain at the demonstration stage. Participants will be encouraged to share practical recommendations on project planning, governance, financing, technology selection, regulatory engagement, and market development. By highlighting both successes and setbacks, the panel will seek to develop a realistic and actionable understanding of how promising concepts can be transformed into scalable industrial solutions.

The overall objective of the session will be to provide a pragmatic assessment of what it will take to move from waste management to resource utilisation in practice, generating insights that will help guide future investments, inform policy development, reduce implementation risks, and support the broader transition towards circular and sustainable NORM management.

Key Discussion Areas:

• Risk-sharing models
• Public-private partnerships
• ESG frameworks and taxonomy alignment

Overview:

This panel will examine how financing, business innovation, and public policy will work together to transform NORM management from a cost centre into a value-generating component of the circular economy. Panel leaders will encourage participants to move beyond the traditional waste-management paradigm and explore what types of business models will be required to unlock the economic potential of NORM-bearing residues, tailings, by-products, contaminated materials, and legacy waste streams. The discussion will recognise that many technically viable solutions will fail to reach commercial deployment not because of technological limitations, but because existing economic structures, regulatory frameworks, and investment models will often not be designed to capture the full value of circular resource recovery.

A central objective of the session will be to explore how the economics of circularity will differ from traditional linear industrial models. Participants will discuss how value will be created through avoided disposal costs, liability reduction, recovery of secondary raw materials, production of marketable products, and the extension of material life cycles. The panel will examine how these benefits will often be distributed across multiple stakeholders, creating challenges in assigning costs, risks, and rewards. Discussion will focus on identifying business models capable of monetising both environmental and economic benefits whilst ensuring long-term commercial sustainability.

The panel will also address the financing barriers commonly faced by innovative NORM management and resource recovery projects. Many emerging technologies and circular economy solutions will struggle to attract investment due to regulatory uncertainty, long development timelines, limited commercial track records, uncertain market demand, and perceived environmental or reputational risks. Participants will discuss how these challenges will be overcome through innovative financing mechanisms, including blended finance structures, public-private partnerships, green finance instruments, infrastructure funds, venture capital, industrial partnerships, and risk-sharing arrangements. The discussion will seek to identify pathways for moving projects across the "valley of death" between successful pilot demonstrations and fully commercial operations.

Particular attention will be given to the role of governments in enabling investment and market development. Panel leaders will encourage debate on the extent to which public authorities will support the development of circular NORM value chains through targeted policy measures, regulatory certainty, economic incentives, tax credits, grants, procurement mechanisms, research funding, and infrastructure investment. Participants will explore lessons from other sectors where government intervention will have successfully accelerated innovation and market creation, including renewable energy, recycling industries, resource recovery, and critical raw materials development.

The panel will further examine the economic rationale for subsidies and incentives in the context of circular economy transitions. Discussion will address whether existing markets will adequately reflect the environmental and societal costs associated with long-term waste management and disposal, and whether corrective mechanisms will be needed to reward resource efficiency, liability reduction, and sustainable material use. Participants will be invited to consider how financial incentives can be designed to stimulate innovation and investment without distorting markets or compromising safety and environmental standards.

An important theme will be the growing role of ESG criteria, sustainable finance frameworks, and responsible investment principles in shaping capital allocation decisions. The discussion will explore how NORM management projects will demonstrate measurable environmental, social, and governance benefits, and how these benefits will be translated into investment opportunities that attract institutional investors, development banks, private equity funds, and industrial partners. Particular attention will be given to the importance of transparency, performance metrics, life-cycle assessment, and risk management in building investor confidence.

The panel will also investigate how financing mechanisms will support the development of entire value chains rather than isolated projects. Resource recovery initiatives will frequently depend on coordinated investments across characterisation, processing, logistics, transportation, product development, certification, and end-use markets. Participants will therefore explore how collaborative financing models will help create integrated ecosystems capable of supporting long-term circular economy objectives.

Ultimately, the session will seek to identify the financial, policy, and commercial conditions necessary to scale innovation and accelerate market adoption. Participants will be encouraged to articulate what investors will require to commit capital, what governments will be able to do to reduce uncertainty and create enabling conditions, and what business models will be most likely to succeed in converting NORM-related liabilities into strategic assets.

The overall objective of the panel will be to develop a practical understanding of how circular economy economics will be applied to NORM management, demonstrating that sustainable resource recovery, environmental protection, industrial competitiveness, and financial viability will be mutually reinforcing objectives. Through innovative business models, supportive policy frameworks, and appropriate financing mechanisms, the panel will explore how the sector will move from demonstrating possibilities to delivering large-scale implementation and lasting economic value.