Nuclear decommissioning

Abstract

This paper analyzes the trend of decommissioning of British nuclear power plants by the decision of Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB). Now the future of many of Britain's older Magnox stations must be in question. But demolition isn't a simple matter of closure and dismantling. All the remaining Magnox stations are now on probation, and awaiting a similar fate in the next few years. The problems of disposing of these aging plants are still being assessed by the CEGB and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. Even with the fuel removed, the reactor and its pressure vessel remain highly radioactive. This activity will have fallen to a tenth of its original level by next year, ten years after switch-off. But the reduction in radioactivity occurs very slowly, and even after 300 years, the core would contain sufficient activity to require remote handling techniques to allow safe dismantling.