KNOW-HOW AND EXPERIENCE OF THE DECOMMISSIONING OF THE EUROCHEMIC REPROCESSING PLANT IN BELGIUM

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The EUROCHEMIC reprocessing plant, established by an international consortium of 13 OECD countries, operated from 1966 to 1974 to process fuel from power reactors and research reactors.

The main building was a large concrete structure, covering an area of 55,000 m2, with a concrete volume of 12,500 m3, containing 1,500 T of metal components.

The building was divided into 106 individual cells, requiring dismantling. The dismantling of these cells involved removing and decontaminating of equipment from each cell, decontaminating of the cell walls, ceilings, and floors, and dismantling of the ventilation system.

Belgoprocess commenced the industrial decommissioning of two storage buildings (6A and 6B) in 1987, followed by the decommissioning of the main process building of the former EUROCHEMIC reprocessing plant in 1989, This initial phase served as a pilot project to familiarize operators with dismantling techniques.

The decommissioning project includes various steps as:

* removal of systems and components;

* first decontamination of the structure;

* removal of pipeline penetrations;

* final decontamination of the structure;

* free release measurements;

* demolition of the structure (building);

* brownfield.

The building was divided into three parts. The eastern part was demolished in 2008, followed by the removal of the central part in 2010. The demolition of the remaining part occurred in 2014, ultimately restoring the area to brownfield conditions.

Over the course of the 25-year decommissioning process, significant effort was invested in enhancing efficiency.

Belgoprocess's decommissioning policy prioritizes maximizing efforts for decontaminating metals, concrete, and other materials, aiming for unconditional release and minimizing nuclear waste.

Consequently, several installations were developed to reduce processing costs, increase decontamination output, and accelerate release measurements. These include:

▪The abrasive blasting installation*, utilized for removing a thin layer from metal components and concrete objects.

▪The concrete sampling installation*, employed as the final measurement before the unconditional release of concrete debris.

▪The concrete spec installation*, utilized to segregate contaminated parts from non-contaminated parts of concrete debris.

* These installations continue to be used for other decommissioning projects at Belgoprocess