Project description
Dismantling nuclear facilities in the digital age
Nuclear facilities are withdrawn from service when they reach end of life. The EU-funded PLEIADES project will develop a new methodology for improving dismantling and decommissioning (D&D) operations in Europe. Specifically, the project will demonstrate an innovative digitally enhanced approach for selected key tasks related to D&D in real life examples from projects in Europe. It will integrate cutting-edge digital support tools into a building information modelling (BIM) technology-based platform, optimising and facilitating the D&D process and leading to coordinated actions. It will also be capable of retrieving and connecting data and calculating simulation results regarding scenario feasibility, waste estimation, radiation exposure, cost and duration.
Objective
Dismantling and decommissioning (D&D) of nuclear facilities enters an important period covering initiatives driven by different countries to strengthen safety measures and maintaining the operation financially viable. The representatives of industry, research, safety organization and technological SMEs join forces in this project to demonstrate an innovative BIM modelling-based approach for detailed planning of logistics, resource allocation and safety measures from a holistic perspective on carefully selected pilot plants. As compared with traditional decommissioning projects, D&D of nuclear facilities is a complex task due to specific logistical and coordination requirements, budgetary constraints and long-term time frames. Considerable uncertainties of these factors, combined with high-level safety requirements related to management of radiological material, calls for an innovative approach. While traditional methods applying mostly manual procedures for planning of individual tasks within the overall process, such methods prove inefficient for enabling integrated planning across the whole project and team. 3D modelling-based digital concepts have potential to both simplify D&D planning, and to lead towards more efficient and better-coordinated actions. The project outcomes shall result in a mature platform based on a BIM approach, integrating a software suite, including emerging tools and digital solutions provided by PLEIADES partners and interconnected together. Within this platform, the main issues of a dismantling site will be treated and optimized. The project will develop a common core, on which all the software modules can connect, retrieve input data, calculate simulation results and share up-to-date data, in particular scenario feasibility, waste estimation, radiation exposure, cost and duration. The platform will be evaluated on several real decommissioning projects of different natures, such as a research reactor and a commercial power plant.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
- H2020-Euratom - Euratom Main Programme
- H2020-Euratom-1. - Indirect actions
Funding Scheme
IA - Innovation actionCoordinator
75015 PARIS 15
France