Rosatom makes decommission concept

An important step has been taken towards a decommission plan for Russian nuclear reactors. Rosatom, the regulatory body of the Russian nuclear complex, has drafted a concept for decommissioning. This is a great victory for the DecomAtom cooperation project.

In 2007, the DecomAtom cooperation project published a 70 pages concept (including attachments) of what a Russian decommissioning plan should look like. This concept was presented at Rosatom’s public council in Moscow, February 2008. The long-term aim of the DecomAtom cooperation is that an official plan for decommissioning of nuclear reactors is being made.

Although a bit vague, the Rosatom concept draft represents an important step for decommissioning plans. The aim of this concept is to establish a foundation for establishing a system for decommissioning. The 7 pages describes aims, principles, activity of the operating unity, activity of Rosatom, legal basis, mitigation of social and economical challenges, financing of decommissioning, scientific and technical basis and realization of the concept.

The concept draft was presented by Scientific and Research institute of NPPs (NIIAES, Moscow), and as far as we know it is not formally signed by the director general yet.

Russia has 31 operating nuclear reactors at 10 nuclear power plants. Some of them have already reached their design time limit, others will reach it in the near future, and a third group will be in operation during the coming decades.

You can download the Rosatom draft concept here (in Russian language only):
http://www.decomatom.org/sites/default/files/%20rosatom.pdf

The concept of DecomAtom NGo cooperation can be downloaded here:
http://decomatom.org/sites/default/files/conception_eng_may_08.pdf