PROJECT START OF REMOTE DISMANTLING OF THE MEDIUM AND HIGH ACTIVE WASTE STORAGE TANKS OF THE GERMAN PROTOTYPE SPENT FUEL REPROCESSING PLANT KARLSRUHE

摘要

In the German Prototype Spent Fuel Reprocessing Plant Karlsruhe (WAK, Fig. 1), reprocessingrnof nuclear fuel was stopped in late 1990 in accordance with the principal political decision tornabolish reprocessing on an industrialrnscale in Germany. The final decommissioningrntask is the "green meadow"rn(stage 3) after demolishing the buildingsrnand remediation of the site, which isrnscheduled for 2009.rnDuring 25 years of operation, 208 tonsrnof nuclear fuel with a burnup of up to 40rnGWd/t including MOX-fuel, have beenrnreprocessed in this plant.rnThe decommissioning and dismantlingrnwill be achieved in six steps taking intornaccount that some processing equipment can be dismantled before and the rest only after thernHigh Active Liquid Waste Concentrate (HAWC) has been vitrified approximately by mid ofrn2005.rnAfter the successful begining of the remote dismantling of the main process cells in March 2000rn/1/, the next remote dismantling project at the WAK was initiated April 2000 (Remote Dismantlingrnof the WAK High Active Waste Concentrate Storage Facilities).rnFive Medium Active Waste (MAW) storage tanks and four High Active Waste Concentratern(HAWC) storage tanks, located above ground in five heavy shielded cells adjacent to the mainrnprocess building, have to be dismantled. In total ~ 130 tons of concrete (from access openings)rnand ~ 120 tons of metal structures covering an overall activity of ~ 2,5 x E15 Bq have to berndismantled remotely with respect to radiation levels up to 2200 mSv/h.rnFirst licenses, constructions and commissioning of an auxiliary building for remote access to therntank cells is scheduled for 2002. Remote dismantling of five MAW storage tanks is scheduled forrn2004, remote dismantling of the four HAWC storage tanks is scheduled for 2005-2007.