Session: 02-01 Dismantling & Waste Segregation

Paper Number: 110307

110307 - Packaging of Reactor Internals and Reactor Pressure Vessels in German Nuclear Power Stations 

At the turn of the millennium, 19 nuclear power plants were still in operation in Germany. Two of which were shut down in the first decade of the new millennium based on a first phase-out decision by the federal government made in the year 2000. Right after the Great East Japan Earthquake aka Tohoku Earthquake and only a few months after a lifetime extension had been granted to all active nuclear generation plants a second phase-out decision was made. This led to the immediate shutdown of eight of the 17 nuclear power stations and defined fixed dates for the remaining nine reactors on which they had to cease production. All but three reactors have already been shutdown according to this plan. Under the impression of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the energy crisis it caused the last three reactors were granted another extension of three and a half months in stretching operation.

At the time of ICEM 2023, therefore, all German Nuclear Power Stations will presumably be shut down and in different phases of decommissioning. The decommissioning process comprises as important milestones the removal of spent fuel from the reactor building and the segmenting and packaging of the reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) as well as their internals.

GNS is engaged in the segmenting and packaging of the reactor internals and reactor pressure vessels of eight reactors at seven sites. These are the two EnBW reactors Neckarwestheim I and Philippsburg 1 where GNS acts as a consortium member and the six PreussenElektra (PEL) reactors Unterweser, Grafenrheinfeld, Grohnde, Brokdorf and Isar 1 and 2 where GNS is in charge of the segmenting and packaging of the reactor internals as a consortium lead and of the RPVs as a sole contractor. Packaging of the reactor internals (in total for the six PEL reactors approx. 900 tonnes) and parts of the RPV with a total weight of approx. 3,000 tonnes has to be performed with regard to the acceptance criteria of the repository Konrad that is expected to open in 2027. This paper focuses on the radiological characterization, packaging planning and packaging of the cut components.

Presenting Author: Jörg Viermann GNS Gesellschaft für Nuklear-Service mbH

Presenting Author Biography: As “Head of Department Sales Large-scale Projects” Jörg Viermann responsible for all GNS’s projects dealing with the disposal of L/ILW and waste treatment technology as well as D&D services. Jörg has a University Degree (Dipl.-Ing.) in Chemical Engineering and more than 30 years of experience in the nuclear industry. Throughout his career Jörg has been dealing with the disposal of all sorts of L/ILW both from operation and dismantling of nuclear power stations or other nuclear facilities. He has also contributed to various decommissioning projects in Germany, The Netherlands, Italy and the United Kingdom.