DEM 2021

Estelle Desroches, EDF

In a context of increasing decommissioning projects, industrial actors in charge of these operations have to propose programs and strategies taking into account many factors in the decision making process. These factors can be general or site specific, including health and safety issues and environmental impact, availability of resources, cost… They can be strongly influenced by local constraints (availability of solutions for radioactive waste management, legal and regulatory frameworks…). The assessment of these factors is a challenge, in particular in cases where long time periods are involved.

The Topic “Dismantling strategy and Program Development” of the future DEM 2021 aims to share feedback or perspectives on various decommissioning program including:

• Main technological choices for the dismantling of a given facility

• Multi-criteria approach to select a decommissioning program

• Management of the decommissioning program of a fleet of reactors / facilities

• Articulation between decommissioning and waste management programs…

Sidonie Royer-Maucotel, CEA

In France, decommissioning and clean-up operations are subject to a specific legal framework, which is very detailed and constraining. How could this legislation be improved in order to ensure an approach both global and designed to meet the specific challenges of each project ?

Could we for example consider such legal evolutions through changes of the French national plan on management of radioactive materials and waste (PNGMDR), including a largest public participation in decision-making at the local and national level or through international sharing of experiences concerning material clearance and site rehabilitation, while ensuring workers, public and environmental protection ? Could we improve our radioactive waste management modes by creating disposal facilities within or closer to waste production sites or by using conventional waste disposal facilities ?

Michel Pieraccini, EDF & Jean-Luc Fournié, Framatome

The increase of decommissioning activities over the past decade enabled all nuclear stakeholders to implement, improve existing means and technologies as well as developing new ones. This session emphasizes the evolutions of D&D’s technologies strengthened by worldwide feedback and experience. It will be the place to highlight the improvements gained in methods, techniques, as well as fostering new perspectives to tackle global future decommissioning challenges.

Danielle Roudil, CEA

The Initial Radiological State Characterization is a key stage for D&D project in the definition of a viable decommissioning scenario. This scenario must be robust and optimized concerning not only technical issues, produced waste amount and workers dosimetry, but also concerning costs, deadlines and safety.What are the recent feedbacks and innovations in sampling methodologies, analytical methods or on site investigation techniques, metrological approaches? Which contributions can be made to these challenges?

Eric Gouhier, CEA

Impact of regulation on the decommissioning of nuclear facilities

Planning for decommissioning (impact of an adequate planning of transition phase (from operation to decommissioning) on decommissioning)

• Waste management issues

• Technology issues

• Social and economic issues

• Knowledge management

Frédéric Legée, ANDRA

This theme deals with storage and  disposal of radiactive waste from dismantling, but also with packaging and possible treatment prior to storage. The subjects proposed may in particular highlight innovations in technical and organization terms and optimization of waste management from the start of sites dismantling. The development of complete or partial recycling of waste will also be a major issue.

Grégoire Augé, ONET Technologies

Buildings and Site Rehabilitation are the apparent key points for Decommissioning and Dismantling facilities or cleaning site. Their success depends on the strategy and the technical methodology developed but also according to the release standards for site release.

This topic of the future DEM 2021 conference aims to share National and International experiences and feedbacks including the points:

• Release Standards for buildings and Soils : dose-based –  concentration-based…

• Modelling and Methodology approach : exposure scenario assumptions…

• Technical approaches for building decontamination and site rehabilitation for different types of radionucleides…

• Examples of buildings and Site reuse…

Thierry Taponard, EDF

How to make our activities in sites remediation, nuclear decommissioning and waste management better known ? How to improve public consultation and the quality of the dialogue with all relevant stakeholders ? What is at stake regarding economic and social issues in the areas where our sites are located ? Although nuclear industry and public organizations have devoted a lot of resources to inform the general public in a transparent way, many people remain concerned. Addressing these concerns is key for the future of nuclear energy.

Christine Georges, CEA

Damaged nuclear facilities are Nuclear Power Plant as well as fuel cycle facilities where “normal” decommissioning is not possible, due to accidents, intentional acts to disrupt operations, or poor management of facilities.

Steps taken to decommission and remediate damaged nuclear facilities have a high degree of complexity on many aspects: planning, characterization, decommissioning techniques, waste management, cost estimating, communication, etc.

How to benefit in “normal” decommissioning from the lessons learned from these challenging decommissioning programs? How to foster more synergy among them?