Welcome to HADES

Located 225 meters deep in the Boom Clay, HADES is the Belgian underground research laboratory to study deep disposal of radioactive waste in a clay formation. 

HADES, the High Activity Disposal Experimental Site, is operated by EURIDICE, a partnership between NIRAS-ONDRAF, responsible for the safe management of all radioactive waste in Belgium, and SCK CEN, the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre. The EURIDICE team is responsible for safely operating the laboratory and its installations, performing Research, development and demonstration (RD&D) on deep disposal in clay and communicating about its activities. 

Ever-evolving in function of the research needs, HADES is crucial to the Belgian research programme on radioactive waste management. It is a one-of-a-kind underground research facility, tucked away in a thick layer of clay. For years, scientists have been exploring how this natural barrier could help safely dispose of radioactive waste deep underground. 

But let’s be clear: HADES is – and will remain – a research lab. It’s not designed to become a repository for radioactive waste. Why not? Because HADES has not been chosen nor designed to be a disposal site.