AREVA NP said it had been chosen by German utility E.ON Kernkraft to decontaminate the Grafenrheinfeld nuclear power plant, a pressurized water reactor located south of Schweinfurt on the river Main.
AREVA NP said it was tasked with reducing radiation levels in the reactor pressure vessel, auxiliary systems and piping at the plant. The project should take through the end of the year to complete, AREVA said.
The decontamination will be executed using a combination of two AREVA NP techniques: the CORD UV and the AMDA.
This procedure is based on the progressive injection of chemical products into the reactor's primary circuit. Once the process is completed, the chemical substances used are decomposed into carbon dioxide and water, leaving behind no additional waste.
This process can be used at nuclear power plants in operation to reduce radiation levels (dose levels) during maintenance work. It can also be used before decommissioning, reducing final radioactive waste “significantly,” AREVA said.
As part of Germany's phase-out nuclear policy, the Grafenrheinfeld reactor was shut down in June 2015, one of nine that have already been closed down for decommissioning. Another eight reactors remain in operation.