Decommissioning of Nuclear Plants

Abstract

Decommissioning a nuclear plant can be defined as the termination of operations and the withdrawal of the facility from service, followed by its transformation into an out-of-service state without radiological risks and, in some cases, its complete removal from the site. Decommissioning activities shall be carried out in a cost-effective manner assigning top priority to health and safety of the general public and the environment, as well as of the decommissioning workers. This chapter covers all aspects related to the closure of the operating life of nuclear plants and provides a description of all the activities and tools involved in both the decision-making and operative processes of decommissioning. Nuclear plant decommissioning is a complex, long, and highly specialized activity. In some countries, therefore, it is even called “de-construction” because it is in many respects similar to the construction activity and, in addition, it deals with partly activated and contaminated structures. Activities to perform include technological tools, industrial safety, environmental impact minimization, licensing, safety analysis, structural analysis, etc. Other aspects are short- and long-term planning, calculation of cash flow and financing, waste disposal, and spent fuel strategy. A lot of technical information is drawn from direct experience of nuclear operators. The widely used references are those from the OECD-NEA, UNO-IAEA, US-NRC, and the European Commission. They cover the results of working groups, special studies, comparisons of technologies, and recommendations.