Project description
Facilitating the uptake of tools for dismantling graphite reactors
All power plants have a finite life beyond which it is not economically feasible to operate them. In this case, they need to be decommissioned, cleaned up and demolished. The EU-funded INNO4GRAPH project will develop a set of tools and methods for dismantling power plant operations. Specifically, it will design 3D modelling of dismantling scenarios as well as measurement tools for the mechanical and physical properties. The project’s tools and methods will be put to the test at a full-scale graphite power plant demonstrator in Chinon, France, in 2022, facilitating their uptake and further development. The participation of all European graphite reactor operators in the consortium will launch an era of excellence in the graphite reactor decommissioning field.
Objective
The decommissioning of closed graphite moderated nuclear reactors worldwide is still in its early stages with the majority of reactors in “safe store” condition. For these reactors, there are still considerable industrial and technical challenges that remain to be tackled even after more than 30 years of operational shutdown of the first unit. Challenges related to the dimension and complexity of the structure as well as costs for decommissioning urge for novel, more performant, safer and cost-efficient solutions for dismantling operations.
INNO4GRAPH aims at developing a set of physical and digital tools and methods to be used both upstream of dismantling operations (for material characterisation and decision-making) and during dismantling operations (for handling and cutting). Tools such as 3D modelling of dismantling scenarios, measurement tools for mechanical and physical properties, mock-ups of the graphite stack and laser-cutting during dismantling operations will be developed. To ensure the cost-efficiency of dismantling scenarios and tools, INNO4GRAPH partners will collect and compare existing cost data for tools, in reference with the different scenarios, to create a benchmarking database for a future decommissioning cost estimate. The launch by EDF of a full-scale graphite power plant demonstrator in Chinon, France, in 2022 will facilitate the uptake and further development of the tools developed during the project.
The participation of all European graphite reactor operators in the consortium will not only be the launch of a sector of excellence in the graphite reactor decommissioning field, but will also ensure a large uptake of results by the end-users and will contribute to achieve the highest impact both on scientific/technological, innovation and economic level.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
- H2020-Euratom - Euratom Main Programme
- H2020-Euratom-1. - Indirect actions
Funding Scheme
IA - Innovation actionCoordinator
75008 Paris
France