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Nuclear Facilities - Reportable Events - Decommissioning - Nuclear Accidents

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Storage capacities for radioactive residues and waste from decommissioning projects

When nuclear facilities are decommissioned and dismantled, radioactive residues and waste are produced. Their storage is already considered when planning decommissioning.

Before the radioactive waste generated during dismantling can be transferred to a repository for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste that is ready for receipt, it must first be treated, packaged (conditioned) in a manner suitable for disposal, and then stored at an interim storage facility. The management of the available storage areas for the residual materials and waste produced within the nuclear facility is of particular importance for the dismantling process and progress.

Storage types

Exterior view of the interim waste storage facility Intermediate waste storage PhilippsburgIntermediate waste storage Philippsburg Source: Christopher Mick

Depending on the purpose and duration of storage, a distinction is made between the following storage types:

  • Interim storage facility:

    In an interim storage facility, packaged (conditioned) waste packages are temporarily stored for a transitional period until they can be transferred to a final storage facility ready for receipt. Interim storage facilities can be divided into interim waste storage facilities (for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste) and interim storage facilities for fuel elements. A further distinction can be made with regard to their location (decentralised or centralised) - see also interim storage sites.

  • Buffer storage:

    A buffer storage facility serves to ensure that the process runs as smoothly as possible between two successive processing steps.

  • Fuel cooling storage:

    Cooling storage serves to reduce the activity due to radioactive decay. Residual materials (also large components) are stored at cooling facilities until they can be released (= released from nuclear regulatory supervision) or treated further. Cooling storage is used, for example, for dismantled metal scrap, but also for non-dismantled large components such as reactor pressure vessels or steam generators.

  • Transport preparation storage:

    Residual material or waste packaged for transport is kept in the transport preparation storage facility until it is handed over to external facilities.

Provision of storage capacities

View of the winding tower of the Konrad Repository KonradRepository Konrad Source: picture alliance / Bildagentur-online/McPhoto-Scholz

The applications for the decommissioning and dismantling of nuclear power plants submitted to the competent Länder authorities address various options for providing the necessary storage capacities on a plant-specific basis:

  • Existing internal or external storage facilities are to be used,
  • rooms and areas within the nuclear power plant are to be converted into storage facilities, or
  • new storage facilities are to be built close to the site.

Why sufficient storage capacities are necessary

In the past, storage capacities were created for residual material and waste from decommissioning projects. Appropriate storage capacities are necessary, and will also be required after the commissioning of the Konrad repository. This is because the waste must be processed, packaged, and initially stored temporarily on site. In addition, the future Konrad repository can only accept a limited amount of low- and intermediate-level waste each year. Moreover, the waste must be transferred to the Konrad repository according to a schedule agreed with all waste producers.

Furthermore, ensuring sufficient storage capacity for the residual material and waste will optimise the dismantling process within the plant to be decommissioned. This is because plant components in the power plant units can be dismantled irrespective of any subsequent dismantling and further treatment of stored residual materials and large components.

State of 2023.12.21

© Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management