The decommissioning activities under the 4th Framework Programme (1994 - 1999) were characterised by closer international collaboration and intensive exchange of experience between participating organisations.

The main tasks identified were:

• Further development of selected innovative dismantling techniques;
• Further development of the decommissioning databases EC-DB Tool for collection and processing of technical performance data, and EC-DB Cost for specific waste arising, doses and associated costs;
• Support to concerted actions to evaluate decommissioning techniques as well as to assist in the decommissioning data supply and the qualification of the data;
• Development of common strategic and management tools for the planning and implementation of decommissioning projects;
• Standardisation of decommissioning cost item definitions to ease the comparability and transferability of data and costs.

In whole, 12 multi-partner contracts were carried out in the field "Decommissioning of nuclear installations" with a budget of 3,5 Million EU, including three projects aimed on further development and testing of innovative cutting techniques.

The cooperation with the 4 decommissioning pilot projects WAGR (gas-cooled reactor), KRB-A (BWR), BR-3 (PWR) and KGR (VVER) which started already in FP-3, was successfully continued and led to a huge collection of specific data and experience which could be used in future decommissioning projects.

The reprocessing plant AT-1 has successfully finished its decommissioning and the site is currently cleared up for further use.

In the WAGR Windscale Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor, the large and complex graphite core structure was dismantled by a special remote dismantling machine. The four steam generators were extracted from the containment building and transported in one piece to the DRIGG low level disposal facility.

In the KRB-A, a 250 MWe Boiling Water Reactor, the dismantling of the core internals, the heat exchanger, the activated concrete bio-shield and the reactor pressure vessel was finished.

The BR3 dismantling concentrates successfully on developing dry and underwater cutting techniques for the highly activated core internals.

The KGR decommissioning project, one of the largest in the world, started the stage 3 dismantling of five commercial VVER-440 reactors in Greifswald and one VVER-70 reactor in Rheinsberg. The remote-controlled dismantling of the first reactor pressure vessel and reactor internals will start in 2000. This will produce another amount of data, being of large importance for future commercial projects of that type.

Summarising the achievements of the pilot projects, it can be concluded that:

• A systematic minimisation of radioactive waste can be reached by efficient decontamination producing small quantities of secondary waste, strict segregation of radioactive materials and comprehensive recycling of decontaminated metals.
• The use of innovative decontamination, cutting and recycling techniques, e.g. the 'ice-sawing' of heat exchanger or the cutting of activated concrete shielding with a diamond stubbed cable, led to negligible doses and minimisation of decommissioning costs.

The interest from the IAEA and the OECD/NEA in the development of a common understanding of the decommissioning process led to the creation of a common list of standardized decommissioning cost item definitions (INCOSIT), another project under FP-4, to ease a world-wide comparability and transferability of data on decommissioning.

With this list of standardised decommissioning cost items it should be possible to create a common tool for the calculation of whole decommissioning projects, regardless from the type of reactor or the chosen stage of dismantling.

The databases EC-DB Tool and EC-DB Cost were established and started the collection and processing technological performance data, waste arising, doses and associated costs.

Two projects aimed at the development of strategic and management planning tools for the decision-making, preparation and implementation of decommissioning projects (SPT and MPT).

Technical aspects of the dismantling process were met with projects on Cutting and Associated Filtering Techniques (ASCADIN, CAMC and CLAUDIN).

The project REBONDIN investigated the re-use of concrete from decommissioned nuclear installations to produce waste storage packages.

Under FP-4, a 20 year period of EC funded research activities in the decommissioning field was concluded, which has been qualified as essential in that sector. It can be stated that most of the dismantling techniques and technologies involved in the decommissioning process have reached industrial stage.

At present, more than 300 scientific publications including proceedings of conferences, seminars and workshops are available in the EC; the list can be accessed on the present EU decommissioning website.

The problems to be solved in the future are clearly shifting from research on technology to activities such as collecting and sharing decommissioning experience, reducing dose uptake and the impact on environment, as well as to enhance cost-effectiveness by using modern decommissioning planning and management tools.

List of projects per Project/Work Area

Project/Area n° 10: Decommissioning of Nuclear Installations
FI4D-CT95-0001	Belgium	Dismantling of PWR, BWR and VVER Reactor Pressure Vessels and Internals
FI4D-CT95-0002	France	Coordinated Development of a Powerful Thermal Cutting Tool (LSI) with Innovative Self-cleaning Filter System - ASCADIN
FI4D-CT95-0003	Germany	Further Development of the EC-DB-Cost and Collection of Data on Costs, Radiation Exposure and Waste from the Decommissioning of Nuclear Installations (EC-DB Cost)
FI4D-CT95-0004	Germany	Further Development of the EC-DB Tool Data Base and Collection of Technological Performance Data from the Decommissioning of Nuclear Installations (EC-DB Tool)
FI4D-CT95-0005	France	Remote Cutting with a Laser Unit for Dismantling the Nuclear Installations - CLAUDIN
FI4D-CT95-0006	United Kingdom	Remote Dismantling Operations - WAGR Decommissioning Project
FI4D-CT95-0007	Germany	Remote-operated, Manipulator-aided Underwater Dismantling of Complex Aluminium and Steel Structures by CAMC
FI4D-CT95-0008	United Kingdom	Study into the development of a Decommissioning Strategic Planning Tool (S.P.T.)
FI4D-CT95-0009	Belgium	INCOSIT – Definition of internationally standardised decommissioning cost structures in co-operation with OECD/NEA and IAEA
FI4D-CT95-0011	United Kingdom	Co-ordination of Decommissioning Steering Group (D.S.G.)
FI4D-CT95-0012	Germany	Decommissioning Master Planning Tool for VVER Reactors (M.P.T.)
FI4D-CT95-0015	France	Reuse of concrete from decommissioned nuclear installations to produce waste storage packages (REBONDIN)

© 2001-2008 European Communities. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer.