Experience and projects

A nuclear facility producing low-enriched uranium dioxide for fuel pellets was decommissioned at Krasnoyarsk Chemical and Metallurgical Plant. The decision to shut down nuclear production at CMP JSC was made due to underutilization of the plant’s production capacity, as well as due to the location of the enterprise within the limits of Kransnoyarsk. This is the first project implemented in Russia to decommission a radiation hazardous facility to the ‘greenfield site’ condition, which required works of high complexity to dismantle production buildings and equipment, as well as to rehabilitate the territory. As a result of the project, the cleaned up site has become safe and suitable for setting up new industrial production facilities.

In the industrial zone of the Siberian Chemical Combine in Seversk, Pool B-2, an above-ground open storage facility for liquid radioactive waste, was mothballed. The pool was intended for collection and long-term storage of process radioactive waste from the radiochemical plant of SCIP JSC. As part of the mothballing project, the pool area was backfilled and covered with a protective clay screen. A radiation monitoring system was established to monitor the condition of the mothballed pool and its impact on the subsurface and the adjacent territory. At present, the gamma background in the pool area does not exceed the permissible normative values.

In the premises of the Academician A.A. Bochvar High-Technology Scientific Research Institute for Inorganic Materials in Moscow, Building B, a former laboratory where research with various radionuclides (uranium, plutonium, americium) was conducted, has been decommissioned. As part of the project, all radiation-contaminated equipment was removed from the building, communication systems were dismantled, internal decontamination of premises was carried out, and building structures were dismantled. The building area was rehabilitated to the ‘greenfield site’ condition.

At the site of Siberian Chemical Combine in Seversk, the world’s first mothballing facility for special radioactive waste was established on the basis of the decommissioned EI-2 industrial uranium-graphite reactor. The EI-2 industrial uranium-graphite reactor produced plutonium and generated heat for electricity. For the first time in the world practice, a safe decommissioning of a uranium-graphite nuclear reactor was carried out using the ‘in place entombment’ principle. As a result of the works performed, the mothballing facility for special radioactive waste of SCIP JSC will be safe for tens of thousands of years.

A test laboratory was decommissioned in the premises of OKB-Nizhny Novgorod JSC, where experimental and research work as well as bench tests of new samples of gas centrifuges on various energy carriers (uranium hexafluoride, Freon-350, Freon-338, stable isotopes) were carried out under conditions as close as possible to operational ones. Due to the completion of development work involving radioactive substances and the need to bring the facility to a radiation safe state, a decision was made to decommission it. As part of the project, auxiliary equipment and engineering systems were dismantled and decontamination was carried out. The generated radioactive waste was transferred to specialized organizations for processing.

In the premises of the Academician A.A. Bochvar High-Technology Scientific Research Institute for Inorganic Materials in Moscow, building No. 53 was decommissioned without demolition. The building housed a cobalt-60 irradiation facility where experimental work with nuclear materials, radioactive substances and sources of ionizing radiation was carried out. During the rehabilitation of the building, gamma radiation sources were unloaded from the facility and transferred to a specialized company, and the process equipment was decontaminated and dismantled. The ventilation systems were also dismantled, and sources of radioactive contamination were removed from the box and vessel equipment. Building No. 53 of Bochvar Inorganic Materials Research Institute, JSC was brought to radiation safe condition

On the territory of the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant, building No. 73, the main production building for the production of fuel elements from natural uranium, was decommissioned. This building was part of the production of nuclear fuel for industrial uranium-graphite reactors located at NCCP JSC. Due to the shutdown of all reactors of this type, fuel production at the plant was terminated. As part of the decommissioning of building No. 73, a comprehensive engineering and radiation survey, dismantling of process equipment and utility systems, building structures and foundations were performed. After the building was demolished, its area was reclaimed.

On the territory of the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant, building No. 17, a storage complex that was part of the production of fuel elements for industrial uranium-graphite reactors at NCCP PJSC was demolished. The production of fuel for industrial uranium-graphite reactors included a full cycle of nuclear materials handling: from uranium ore processing to uranium metal production and fuel element fabrication. Due to the shutdown of all reactors of this type, fuel production at the plant was terminated. As part of the decommissioning, a comprehensive engineering and radiation survey, dismantling of process equipment and utility systems, building structures and foundations were performed, as well as works on management of generated waste were accomplished. Building No. 17 was decommissioned to the ‘greenfield site’ condition.

A radiation source was eliminated at the site of Centrotech Design Bureau (now part of Centrotech SPA LLC in St. Petersburg. Centrotech-SPb JSC was engaged in research and development and improvement of gas centrifuge technology. As part of the project, the radiation source was eliminated and the premise where it was located was decontaminated, brought to a radiation safe condition and repurposed. As part of the completed works, the adjacent area was also rehabilitated.

A trench-type solid radioactive waste storage facility (site No. 16) was mothballed in the premises of the radiochemical plant of the Siberian Chemical Combine in Seversk. During the project, the accumulated solid radioactive waste was localized (mothballed) in the existing storage facilities. A single bulk material containment screen was installed around the entire perimeter of the storage facilities. Observation wells of varying depths were placed to monitor groundwater and radionuclide non-proliferation. Upon completion of all works, site No. 16 was brought to a radiation safe condition.

The M2079 unit for processing highly enriched uranium was decommissioned at the sublimate plant of the Siberian Chemical Combine in Seversk. The M2079 unit was created under the U.S.-Russian agreement to convert highly enriched uranium into energy-grade low-enriched uranium (HEU-LEU or ‘Megatons to Megawatts’ program). As part of the decommissioning work, the premises, building structures and utility systems were decontaminated, process equipment, pipelines and utility systems were dismantled. The generated radioactive waste was transferred for final containment to the National Operator for Radioactive Waste Management NORWM FSUE. The facility was dismantled and the building where it was located was decontaminated and brought to a radiation safe condition.

Building No. 804, one of the first production shops of the enterprise for uranium isotope separation using gas diffusion technology, was decommissioned in the premises of Angarsk Electrolysis Chemical Combine. With the transition to the new gas centrifuge method, operation of the facility was discontinued and the building was mothballed. The work of dismantling building No. 804 was carried out over a period of four years. The building was demolished and the area was rehabilitated. The site of the shop where the diffusion equipment of the separation plant was located is now a clean area.

The central research laboratory (CRL) (building No. 18) was liquidated at Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant. The CRL was part of the production of nuclear fuel for industrial uranium-graphite reactors located at NCCP JSC. Due to the shutdown of all reactors of this type, fuel production at the plant was terminated. The laboratory was dismantled and the building where it was located was decontaminated and brought to a radiation safe condition. Decommissioning was accompanied by rehabilitation and improvement of the surrounding areas.

Mothballing of B-1 and B-25 special radioactive waste pools was completed at the site of the radiochemical plant of the Siberian Chemical Combine in Seversk. Open pools with liquid radioactive waste were created at the beginning of the establishment of SCIP JSC and made it possible to exclude radionuclides getting into the open hydrographic network. During the mothballing project, a unique technology for fixing the slurry in the open pool with LRW was developed and applied in order to exclude its escape to the surface of the embankment. Accumulated radioactive waste is reliably contained from external impact and escape outside the storage facility. The mothballed B-1 and B-25 pools are currently in an environmentally safe condition.

On the territory of the Angarsk Electrolysis Chemical Combine, work has begun on decommissioning of building No. 802, one of the production shops for uranium isotope separation using gas diffusion technology - the analog of building No. 804 decommissioned in 2019. With the transition to the new gas centrifuge method, operation of building No. 802 was discontinued and the building was mothballed. As part of the decommissioning of the building, the old diffusion equipment of the separation plant will be removed and the building structures will be decontaminated and the building will be dismantled. Solid low- and very low-level radioactive waste generated during the works will be placed in safe containers and transferred for final containment to the National Operator for Radioactive Waste Management (NORWM FSUE). The decommissioning of building No. 804 is to be completed in 2025.

The first stage of 60A and 116A buildings was decommissioned at the site of the Instrument Research Institute in Lytkarino (Moscow Region). These buildings contained the process premises of the complex designed to conduct full-scale tests of onboard space nuclear power plants. As a result of the radiation incident, the premises and equipment of the complex were superficially contaminated with gamma-emitting aerosols. As part of the project, contaminated equipment was completely dismantled, decontamination of premises and a set of RAW management works were performed. The facilities were brought to a radiation safe condition and prepared for the next stage of decommissioning.

At the site of radiochemical plant of Siberian Chemical Combine in Seversk, preparatory work has begun on mothballing of PKh-1 and PKh-2 pulp storage facilities. Pulp storage facilities of SCIP JSC are surface disposal facilities for liquid radioactive waste and are special stationary hydraulic engineering structures of pool type, along the bottom and slopes of which the impervious blanket of clay is laid. Inert materials (sand, crushed stone, clay) will be delivered to the transfer site to preserve the storage facilities. As part of the mothballing project, additional safety barriers will be created to prevent unauthorized access to the waste disposal area and prevent the release of radioactive substances into the environment. Mothballing works at PKh-1 and PKh-2 pulp storage facilities are designed for the period until 2030.

Decommissioning of underground storage facilities with radioactive waste from sublimation production (facility No. 310) was started at the Angarsk Electrolysis Chemical Combine. The project involves RAW retrieval, reprocessing, conditioning, i.e. conversion into a foam suitable for transportation or storage, and certification. The processed waste will be placed in specialized protective containers for temporary storage with subsequent transfer for final containment to the National Operator for Radioactive Waste Management (NORWM FSUE). All building structures of underground storage facilities will be decontaminated. The first stage of RAW retrieval and processing will be completed by the end of 2023.

A radioactive waste processing complex was commissioned at Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant. Previously, the waste generated at NCCP PJSC was disposed of at a regime facility - the tailing pond lake under the water column. With the launch of the new complex, the enterprise’s radioactive waste will be processed, packaged and transferred to the National Operator for Radioactive Waste Management (NORWM FSUE). Mothballing (“backfilling”) of the tailing pond, the safety of which for the environment and population is confirmed by the results of analysis of numerous samples, is to be implemented by 2030 within the framework of the NRS-2 FTP.

In the premises of the Academician A.A. Bochvar High-Technology Scientific Research Institute for Inorganic Materials in Moscow, U-5 nuclear facility, a bench prototype of radiochemical plants, was decommissioned. As part of decommissioning, decontamination and dismantling of process equipment, building structures and utility networks, removal of foundations and backfilling of the excavation with subsequent rehabilitation of the area were performed. The extracted waste was conditioned, brought to the acceptance criteria, removed from the institute’s premises and transferred for final containment to the National Operator for Radioactive Waste Management (NORWM FSUE). The uniqueness of the project for decommissioning of the VNIINM JSC nuclear facility is due to the fact that the work is carried out in a dense urban environment. According to the results, an expert opinion of the “Center of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Moscow” on confirmation of compliance of the site with the requirements of sanitary legislation was received.

At the Ural Electrochemical Combine site in Novouralsk, retrieval of accumulated radioactive waste from a long-term storage facility was begun. About 3% of all RAW is classified as low-level waste, while the remaining 97% is classified as very low-level waste. This is solid radioactive waste generated as a result of production activities of UECP JSC: used work clothes, filters of ventilation systems, sludge from remelting of centrifuges contaminated during production activities with natural radionuclides of uranium series. The project envisages extraction of RAW, bringing it to the acceptance criteria and transfer for disposal to the National Operator for Radioactive Waste Management (NORWM FSUE). It is expected that the accumulated waste will be removed by the end of 2023, then the storage facility will be eliminated and the adjacent area will be rehabilitated to the ‘greenfield site’ condition.

Work continues at the Angarsk Electrolysis Chemical Combine to decommission building No. 802, one of the production shops for uranium isotope separation using gas diffusion technology. 50% of the works stipulated by the design documentation have been completed: the building was released from equipment, building structures were deactivated, and part of the building was dismantled. Solid low- and very low-level radioactive waste generated during the works is placed in safe containers and transferred for final containment to NORWM FSUE. Work on the project launched in 2020. The decommissioning of building No. 802 is to be completed in 2025.

On the territory of the Republic of Tajikistan, the industrial site of the former Taboshar uranium mining facility was reclaimed - the dump of the poor uranium ore factory and four tailing ponds. As part of the project, extensive work was carried out: the structures of the poor ore plant were dismantled, large-sized scrap was contained in reinforced concrete bowls, and the dump height was reduced from 65 to 35 meters. All radioactive material from the waste dump of the poor ore plant and tailing ponds is covered by a three-layer protective shield. The work was performed by CDTI JSC - the decommissioning integrator’s competence center. The key result of the project was the reduction of radiation background in the perimeter of the reclaimed dump to the permissible values.