Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Aktau (Kazakhstan) hosted a field meeting of the expert group on the development of technical solutions and technologies of the Base Organization of the CIS member states on the management of spent nuclear fuel (SNF), radioactive waste (RW) and decommissioning of nuclear and radiation hazardous facilities (DE NRHF). This was reported by the press service of the CIS Executive Committee.

The meeting was organized by the Rosatom Fuel Company TVEL, which has been the Base Organization of the CIS since 2021, and is also the integrator of the Rosatom State Corporation for decommissioning and radioactive waste management. The host party was the Mangystau Nuclear Power Plant (MAEK LLP).

More than 70 experts from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Uzbekistan took part in the meeting. Rosatom State Corporation was represented by more than 20 industry enterprises, institutions and organizations - JSC TVEL, FSUE FEO, JSC Concern Rosenergoatom, JSC AEP, FSUE GCC, JSC SSC RF - IPPE, FSUE " RADON”, IBRAE RAS, JSC “ODC UGR” and others.

The key issue of the meeting of the expert group was the discussion of the solutions and technologies used and developed in the CIS countries for the management of spent nuclear fuel, radioactive waste and decommissioning of NRHF, as well as promising areas for the implementation of joint projects to develop the technological park of organizations participating in the Base Organization.

“According to preliminary estimates, there are more than 40 large nuclear legacy sites in the CIS member states. Last November, we initiated the development of a Comprehensive Program for the Safeguarding of Nuclear Legacy Sites in Commonwealth Countries at Various Stages of Decommissioning. It is necessary to apply the most appropriate technologies and engineering solutions at the rehabilitated objects. We will form a register of technologies for use at the pilot facilities of the Comprehensive Program,” said Eduard Nikitin, Director of Decommissioning Programs of TVEL JSC, Deputy Chairman of the Advisory Body of the Base Organization of the CIS Member States for SNF, RW and Decommissioning of NRHF.

During the meeting, the participants considered decommissioning technologies for research and industrial uranium-graphite reactors, as well as radioactive waste storage facilities.

The experts exchanged experience on the organization of a radiation monitoring system, ensuring radiation safety during long-term storage of RW, processing and handling of solid and liquid RW, final waste isolation, operation of a container fleet for transportation, storage and disposal of RW used in the CIS member countries.

Among the latest technologies in the field of decommissioning, the participants noted a mobile laser complex for the fragmentation of radioactively contaminated large-sized metal equipment and a FREMES sorting plant for radioactively contaminated soils. Both technologies have been implemented at the Angarsk Electrolysis Chemical Plant (part of the Fuel Company of Rosatom TVEL), which is one of the Fuel Company’s competence centers for decommissioning.

A technical tour was organized for the experts to the Mangistau Nuclear Power Plant, on the site of which the BN-350 reactor facility is located (since 1999 - in decommissioning mode).

“Three stages are envisaged for decommissioning the BN-350 reactor plant, including partial or complete dismantling of equipment, buildings, structures, disposal of radioactive waste and rehabilitation of the territory. Currently, measures are being taken for the first stage - handling of spent nuclear fuel, handling of liquid metal coolant, liquid and solid radioactive waste from the BN-350 reactor. Of course, we consider the experience of colleagues from the CIS countries to solve these problems,” said Zhasulan Suyunchaliev, General Director of MAEK LLP.

The work of expert groups by the base organization of the CIS member states is carried out on a permanent basis.

The innovative technologies of Rosatom are based on the advanced achievements of Russian nuclear science and fully meet the current ESG agenda. In particular, projects to eliminate nuclear legacy make a comprehensive contribution to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in environmental, social, economic and environmental aspects.