The project, which has had a duration of four years (1995–1998), included the organization of regional workshops and scientific visits to countries having WWERs and other countries where active decommissioning projects are underway. The project called upon the expertise already gathered in the countries which have accumulated experience in decommissioning reactors (particularly WWERs), to provide advice to other countries where this experience is lacking.
A mixed approach was initially envisaged for any given workshop, and is described below. It has been possible to implement the following mechanisms in parallel:
(a) peer review of selected decommissioning projects/studies. This mechanism was ideally implemented when the NPP subject to peer review or a given country in CEE was visited by the committee of experts under the regional project. To improve efficiency of the peer review process, the host country was requested to send relevant information to committee members well before the workshop. The scope and extent of the peer review process depended on the information provided by the host country and followed given indications. Although informally conducted, this mechanism managed to create an active debate among committee members and, at least, highlight solutions to common issues in CEE countries. Table I gives details of peer reviews conducted under the regional project.
(b) progress reports. Countries that are developing decommissioning projects and studies were invited to present their progress achieved at the project workshops.
(c) discussion on specific topics. Such topics were assigned to specified experts from and/or outside the region. A list of a few subjects dealt with at project workshops is provided below (see also Table II):
(i) selection of a decommissioning strategy,
(ii) pre-decommissioning radiological and physical characterization, (iii) decontamination technology,
(iv) dismantling technology,
(v) treatment, conditioning, transportation, storage and disposal of decommissioning waste, including clearance levels,
(vi) cost assessment and funding,
(vii) design, construction and operation to facilitate decommissioning, and (viii) drafting of decommissioning plans.
(d) site visits. Visits were arranged to sites where WWERs, or research and development facilities, are located, or sites where active decommissioning projects are underway.
Table III provides more details on site visits conducted under the regional project.
Table I. Regional project peer reviews
Paks, Hungary, November 1996. Paks Units 1–2: Preliminary Decommissioning Plan
Bratislava, Slovakia, May 1997. Documentation for NPP-V1 Operation Termination (covering activities immediately before and after permanent shutdown)
Table II. Regional project topical subjects as discussed at project workshops
Workshop Subject Vienna, IAEA,
Regulatory infrastructures S, U U
Pre-decommissioning
Decontamination technology R, B, H, G,
C, J
Dismantling technology BE, USA J
Implementation of
Note: The letters in the table refer to presentations/reports given by experts from the following Member States:
B (Bulgaria), BE (Belgium), C (Czech Republic), FF (Finland), F (France), G (Germany), H (Hungary), J (Japan), R (Russian Federation), S (Slovakia), U (Ukraine), UK (United Kingdom), USA (United States of America).
Table III. Regional project site visits
Greifswald, Germany, 25–29 March 1996 (Greifswald WWER-440/230/213 Decommissioning Project)
Balatonfüred, Hungary, 25–29 November 1996 (Paks WWER-440/213)
Mol, Belgium, 15–19 December 1997 (BR3, Belgoprocess Decommissioning Projects) Tokai-Tokyo, Japan, 30 March–3 April 1998 (Visit to several D&D Research Centres)
For the purposes of this project, the IAEA played the role of international forum where information and views are shared and debated. Radioactive waste management, including decommissioning of nuclear installations, has a prominent role as an IAEA activity and has to be dynamic in nature to keep pace with the changing needs of Member States. Meeting these needs is a challenge in itself considering the diverse nature of waste management activities that are planned or underway in Member States. The main objective of IAEA’s waste management and decommissioning programmes is to provide guidance on safe management of radioactive waste in accordance with IAEA’s mandate to promote the safe and peaceful use of atomic energy. The following countries were primarily addressed by this project: Armenia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Ukraine. Designated experts from these countries took part in the above-mentioned workshops and delivered the papers that are the primary source of information for this publication. Invited experts from Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States of America provided information on decommissioning planning and management based on their national experience. It is felt that participation of experts from these countries has greatly contributed to technology and know-how transfer to project recipient countries. Although environmental and other conditions may differ from country to country and from site to site, similarities in technical factors may also be found.
Many IAEA publications pertain to the decommissioning of nuclear facilities (Table IV).
Some IAEA Safety Series publications in the field of decommissioning are being prepared within the new RADWASS programme (e.g. [7]). Other existing Safety Series publications are applicable to specific aspects of decommissioning e.g. the regulatory process for decommissioning or pre-disposal management of radioactive waste. Technological aspects of decommissioning of nuclear facilities in general are covered by IAEA technical reports and TECDOCs (Table IV) [8, 9]. However, no IAEA publication specifically refers to WWER decommissioning. In the course of the project, it became apparent that consolidation of advice/guidance and practical experience provided by individual experts needed preparation of a document where all decommissioning aspects, in particular WWER-specific issues, were systematically dealt with and described. Current inadequacies in planning and management of WWER decommissioning were also highlighted and ways to upgrade existing resources and infrastructures identified. Recommendations were also provided to develop information and data needed for timely and successful planning of decommissioning. Indeed, planning for decommissioning is the main objective of this TECDOC. Project meetings held at Mol (December 1997), Tokai (March 1998) and Vienna (November 1998) were substantially devoted to the TECDOC preparation.
Table IV. List of IAEA publications published since 1980 on decommissioning and decontamination of nuclear facilities
Safety Series (SS)
Factors Relevant to the Decommissioning of Land-Based Nuclear Reactor Plants SS No. 52 (1980)
Safety in Decommissioning of Research Reactors SS No. 74 (1986)
The Regulatory Process for the Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities SS No. 105 (1990) Technical Report Series (TRS)
Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities: Decontamination, Disassembly and Waste Management TRS No. 230 (1983) Decontamination of Nuclear Facilities to Permit Operation, Inspection, Maintenance,
Modification or Plant Decommissioning
TRS No. 249 (1985) Methodology and Technology of Decommissioning Nuclear Facilities TRS No. 267 (1986) Methods for Reducing Occupational Exposures During the Decommissioning of Nuclear
Facilities
TRS No. 278 (1987) Decontamination and Demolition of Concrete and Metal Structures During the
Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities
TRS No. 286 (1987) Factors Relevant to the Recycling or Reuse of Components Arising from the Decommissioning
and Refurbishment of Nuclear Facilities
TRS No. 293 (1988) Monitoring Programmes for Unrestricted Release Related to Decommissioning of Nuclear
Facilities
TRS No. 334 (1992) Cleanup and Decommissioning of a Nuclear Reactor After a Severe Accident TRS No. 346 (1992) Application of Remotely Operated Handling Equipment in the Decommissioning of Nuclear
Facilities
TRS No. 348 (1993) Planning and Management for the Decommissioning of Research Reactors and Other Small
Nuclear Facilities
TRS No. 351 (1993)
Decontamination of Water Cooled Reactors TRS No. 365 (1994)
Decommissioning Techniques for Research Reactors TRS No. 373 (1994)
Safe Enclosure of Shut Down Nuclear Installations TRS No. 375 (1995)
Design and Construction of Nuclear Power Plants to Facilitate Decommissioning TRS No. 382 (1997) Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities Other than Reactors TRS No. 386 (1998) Radiological Characterization of Shut down Nuclear Reactors for Decommissioning Purposes TRS No. 389 (1998)
TECDOCs
Decontamination of Operational Nuclear Power Plants IAEA-TECDOC-248
(1981)
Decontamination and Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities IAEA-TECDOC-511 (1989)
Decontamination of Transport Casks and of Spent Fuel Storage Facilities IAEA-TECDOC-556 (1990)
Factors Relevant to the Sealing of Nuclear Facilities IAEA-TECDOC-603
(1991)
Considerations in the Safety Assessment of Sealed Nuclear Facilities IAEA-TECDOC-606 (1991)
National Policies and Regulations for Decommissioning Nuclear Facilities IAEA-TECDOC-714 (1993)
Decontamination and Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities IAEA-TECDOC-716 (1993)
New Methods and Techniques for Decontamination in Maintenance or Decommissioning Operations
IAEA-TECDOC-1022 (1998)
Technologies for Gas Cooled Reactor Decommissioning, Fuel Storage and Waste Disposal IAEA-TECDOC-1043 (1998)
Nuclear Data Series (NDS)
Nuclear Data Requirements for Fission Reactor Decommissioning INDC (NDS)-269 (1993) International Benchmark Calculations of Radioactive Inventory for Fission Reactor
Decommissioning
INDC (NDS)-355 (1996)