Decommissioning Nuclear Facilities: VIDEO
Decommissioning Nuclear Facilities
(Updated 31 May 2017)
Robotic systems for safe nuclear decommissioning of nuclear facilities source Machining News
edited by kcontents
To date, over 110 commercial power reactors, 48 experimental or prototype reactors, over 250 research reactors and a number of fuel cycle facilities have been retired from operation. Some of these have been fully dismantled. Most parts of a nuclear power plant do not become radioactive, or are contaminated at only very low levels. Most of the metal can be recycled. Proven techniques and equipment are available to dismantle nuclear facilities safely and these have now been well demonstrated in several parts of the world. Decommissioning costs for nuclear power plants, including disposal of associated wastes, are high relative to other industrial plants but are reducing, and contribute only a small fraction of the total cost of electricity generation. |
All power plants, coal, gas and nuclear, have a finite life beyond which it is not economically feasible to operate them. Generally speaking, early nuclear plants were designed for a life of about 30 years, though with refurbishment, some have proved capable of continuing well beyond this. Newer plants are designed for a 40 to 60 year operating life. At the end of the life of any power plant, it needs to be decommissioned, cleaned up and demolished so that the site is made available for other uses.
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