Size Reduction and Decontamination Workshop (SRDW)

To ensure the essential stream for the treatment of contaminated materials dismantled from the turbine hall and controlled area of Units 1-4 of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant.

The Bulgarian Nuclear Power Plant of Kozloduy (KNPP) comprises six units, four of which (Units 1-4) were built according to a Soviet design VVER 440-230. Units 1 and 2 were shut down in 2002, and Units 3 and 4 in 2006 as Bulgaria joined the European Union. This reflected the fact that necessary investments to meet the associated safety requirements would not be economically viable.

The Kozloduy International Decommissioning Support Fund (KIDSF), administered by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) was established as an assistance programme to help the Bulgarian government cope with the early closure and decommissioning of the four units and consequential measures required to be undertaken in the energy sector.

SRDW was a project to ensure an essential stream for the treatment of contaminated materials dismantled from the turbine hall and controlled area of Units 1-4.

Radioactive waste management is a key challenge of any nuclear decommissioning project. The role of the SRDW was essential for the Kozloduy site as it enables the significant reduction in the quantity of waste arising from the dismantling to be disposed in a repository.

Indeed, with the several processes operated in the SRDW, a major part of these materials can be decontaminated below regulatory levels and thus made suitable to free-release for recycling into conventional industry.

The success of this project was based on innovation – for the treatment processes implemented (such as electro-chemical decontamination), Quality – to comply with the stringent technical, safety and regulatory requirements of the nuclear sector and Professional excellence – to design and deliver a facility in the field of nuclear decommissioning known for its difficulties and uncertainties, in the framework of and EPC
contract.