D & D Activities of Tecnubel in Belgium and Abroad

Abstract

Safe decontamination is a regular requirement in the lifecycle of a nuclear plant and is integral to the careful maintenance of any nuclear installation for 4 key reasons: • To decrease the risk of radioactive contamination spreading • To limit the radioactive doses contracted by maintenance personnel • To limit the radioactive doses incurred during decommissioning • To downgrade the class of radioactive waste The primary goal of decommissioning is to remove aged and/or contaminated and/or activated components of an installation, safely and securely, in as short a time as possible. There are several reasons why this may be necessary: • To eliminate the risk of radioactive contamination spreading • To eliminate the risk of radiation • To downgrade a site or a circuit to a point where it no longer is submitted to regular inspection • To remove installations or parts that are no longer in service or have aged There are many different D&D techniques, tools and materials available today. What is important is knowing how best to use them. This paper describes the experiences and the future projects of Tecnubel in D & D projects in Belgium and abroad.