Key development assets

Experience suggests that the development potential of a redundant site is often dependent on one or two key assets left over from the site’s operating life.

These assets can provide an important catalyst for a particular redevelopment plan or serve to improve the attractiveness of the site as an investment proposition for developers.

An important step in exploring the redevelopment potential of a site is to identify these potential key assets and assess their relevance to future development scenarios. Once identified, these assets should be protected from deterioration during the remaining life of the site. In the case of nuclear facilities, these might include:

— A desirable area with a high standard of living;

— High quality electricity grid supply connections;

— Airstrips and road, rail or sea access with offloading facilities;

— Sewerage and other piping networks;

— A partly ‘captive’ local workforce with a high level of technical skill;

— Office space, in particular prestigious old buildings, perhaps with historical significance;

— Support services (catering, public transport, etc.);

— Non-radioactive machine shops, workshops and general production facilities, especially those with large machinery, stocks of spare parts or consumables;

— A large, flat site suitable for a substantial manufacturing investment or for a smaller investment while still retaining the future potential for contiguous expansion;

— Sports and leisure facilities.

5.5.1. Standard of living

A facility located in close proximity to or in an area with a comfortable standard of living will be more desirable for redevelopment. Advantageous conditions would include: good quality education systems, a reasonable tax base, a low crime rate and a user friendly living environment. These attributes were cited for the marketing and redevelopment of the USDOE Mound and Pinellas sites. In the specific case of the Pinellas site, its close proximity to a

high technology corridor while also being only ten minutes by car from a beach was seen as a very attractive feature [93, 94]. (See also Annex I.H.)

5.5.2. Electricity grid connection

A high capacity connection to an electricity distribution grid is present at most nuclear power plant sites. This makes them especially suitable for redevel-opment as an alternative electricity generation plant, or for an industrial development dependent upon heavy electrical power usage (see Section 5.1.5 on conversion of nuclear power plant sites for new kinds of electricity production). Furthermore, most nuclear sites are equipped with backup electricity systems, typically diesel backup generators, which can frequently be converted to non-nuclear applications.

5.5.3. Site accessibility

Site accessibility can be a key asset either for industrial applications or for recreational activities in some cases. The operation of a nuclear facility requires frequent access for staff and equipment for facility maintenance and repair, as well as visitor access. In the USA the former AGNS nuclear site, which following decommissioning was transformed into the South Carolina Advanced Technology Park, is so located that there is easy access to air, rail and waterway transport facilities, all within a 200 km radius or less of the site [95]. In contrast, some nuclear facilities are situated in remote, almost inacces-sible places owing to security and/or radiological concerns. This could be a complication for industrial redevelopment purposes, but depending on the redevelopment envisaged, isolation could actually be a significant asset, for example for the siting of hazardous industries. An interesting case is the use of a small area of the USDOE Nevada Test Site where isolation of the area is very advantageous. Large and small scale testing of hazardous materials for personnel emergency response training purposes, field test detection, plume dispersion, exposure testing, and equipment and materials testing can all be performed by different organizations through a fee based system [96].

5.5.4. Infrastructure network

The availability of a sewerage network is another good asset for site redevelopment. However, the underground piping in some parts of a nuclear facility may have collected radioactive leaks during plant operation, and assurance of an absence of residual contamination should be provided before reuse is allowed. One recent case is described in Ref. [97]. The water

authorities in the interested counties have determined that there are no insur-mountable obstacles that would prevent the construction of a desalination facility near the San Onofre nuclear power plant in the USA. The pipes used to draw in sea water to cool the reactor could be used in the desalination process, dramatically lowering the cost of constructing the desalination plant.

5.5.5. Skilled workforce

The local workforce employed at the site is an important issue at the time of decommissioning and subsequently of site redevelopment. In fact, it may happen that some skilled labour may leave the site before decommissioning is fully implemented, owing to long term employment concerns. Early planning for redevelopment may attract some personnel to remain and possibly be involved in supporting the redevelopment activities. In contrast, some skilled labour may have personal reasons not to leave the area and yet cannot find adequate alternative jobs locally. The availability of local skilled labour is a potential advantage for site redevelopment if industrial contractors can recruit from the local workforce. (See Annexes I.H and I.I.)

5.5.6. Accommodations for administration

Office space is a valuable asset from the viewpoint of any redevelopment.

Practically any reuse will require space for offices for administration, visitor access, etc. Depending on building size, reuses such as theatres and conference halls may be considered. In parallel, most nuclear facilities offer laboratories, buildings, warehouses, etc., that can easily be refurbished to support such purposes. This is an area where the challenge is basically to match the supply with the demand. Prestigious buildings may lend a distinctive character and may accommodate or support facilities such as museums and exhibition spaces.

(See the Jason reactor case described in Section 7.2.4.) 5.5.7. Support services

Support services, such as catering, motor pools and public transport, may have been available to support the workforce during operation and decommis-sioning of the nuclear facility. Such services should be an asset for the estab-lishment of new companies when the site is being redeveloped and utilized. It would be important for the site planners to prevent any long periods of discon-tinued services that could lead to their permanent cessation. In the case of the redevelopment of the USDOE Pinellas site, the availability of a children’s

daycare service, and on-site dining and meeting facilities were identified as key assets [94].

5.5.8. Machine shops

Machine shops could be converted to non-nuclear applications, also by taking advantage of skilled labour. This process may require preliminary decontamination of nuclear workshops, an operation that can usually be accomplished without much difficulty. Stocks of spare parts or consumables (heating fuel, liquid nitrogen, etc.) may be reused for machine shops or other new facilities. (See Annex I.H.)

5.5.9. Suitable terrain

A large, flat site would be desirable to allow open space for new industries while maintaining adequate space for on-site roads, parking lots, etc.

As mentioned earlier, it is also important that infrastructure facilities, such as electric power, a sewerage network, and an industrial and potable water network, be available. Normally all these facilities are present as a result of the operation of a nuclear facility, but refurbishment activities may be needed in order to accommodate the redevelopment needs. In the case of the former AGNS site mentioned in Section 5.5.3, a suitable terrain was a key asset for the redevelopment of the site and its utilization as an industrial park [95].

5.5.10. Leisure facilities

In the case of one site (see Annex I.E), the key asset was a high quality sports and social club built in traditional style and with excellent facilities. It was originally provided for the employees and their families on the edge of the production site but served as the base for redeveloping the site as a leisure park, also making use of the mine water lake as the focal point of a new golf course.