After a certain period of service in the cooling systems of the cores of nuclear power plants (NPPs), tubes made of chromium-nickel steel are placed in repositories that have been specially designated for this purpose due to the tubes' radioactive contamination. The Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy estimates that about 160,000 tons of such scrap has now been accumulated. In our opinion, after a certain period of time and a natural decrease in radioactivity, some of these tubes could be subjected to additional deactivation and used as metallic .charge materials to make corrosion-resistant tubes for use in nuclear power generation. In connection with this, we are proposing that a specialized mini-mill be organized for this purpose on the basis of modular technologies. The factory could be built either at an independent site or on the grounds of an existing plant. The latter option would allow the use of existing engineering facilities, available energy carriers, some of the existing production equipment, and the expertise of engineers and technicians already on staff.
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