Research Reactor Group
Facilitating transfer of know-how on decommissioning of research reactors and irradiated core materials
Objective: To increase the potential capability in interested Member States with research reactors to plan and implement decommissioning and to co-ordinate international research on irradiated materials from research reactors already shutdown and being decommissioned, or undergoing refurbishment, in an effort to understand irradiated ageing mechanisms.
Responsible Officers : Pablo ADELFANG, Michele LARAIA
Details: Decommissioning is the inevitable legacy of operation of research reactors, and needs timely and effective management. This includes the management of materials that result from decommissioning. To this end, accurate assessments of waste arising from all sources are required and methods/technologies should be available for Member States to minimize arisings and any environmental impacts from the wastes.
Within this project, a report under preparation addresses the state-of-the-art decommissioning of research reactors from a historical perspective. It addresses issues that were solved as the result of the maturity of the nuclear industry, as well as remaining or emerging issues. A database on decommissioning of research reactors is being built and it eventually be attached to broader databases covering other aspects of research reactor technology and operation.