Sogin, dismantling of the components of the reactor building has begun in Caorso

Sogin has started the dismantling of the systems and components inside the reactor building at the Caorso power plant. This project represents a crucial step in the decommissioning program of the Emilian plant, as it marks the attack on the heart of the power plant.

In particular, “spooling” operations have begun in which technicians are tracing the cutting points to dismantle the systems and components into pieces (spools). This work is necessary to ensure that each element can be easily identified and grouped based on the plant system of origin and its possible contamination.

The activities carried out so far have included the construction of the construction site electrical system and will continue with the installation of the means for handling the dismantled materials and with the setting up of the plant for performing hot cuts, specifically designed to deal with the most complex components by size and thickness.

The first systems and components to be dismantled will be those located at ground level. A choice dictated by the need to free up spaces for the passage of materials coming from the other floors of the reactor building. On the ground level there is in fact a confined corridor, called waste route, created by Sogin, where the cut components will be safely transferred to the turbine building to be possibly decontaminated, cut and further reduced in volume to facilitate their subsequent management.

The dismantling project is divided into “areas”, each of which includes a detailed dismantling plan. This planning ensures compliance with the safety criteria and requirements indicated by Isin, the National Inspectorate for National Security and Radiation Protection.

A total of 3,400 tonnes of material will be dismantled, of which approximately 88% will be releasable after the necessary treatment and decontamination operations, while the remaining 12% will be managed as radioactive waste and stored in the site’s temporary warehouses awaiting transfer to the Depot. National, once available.

This result demonstrates how Sogin, thanks to the advanced treatment and decontamination techniques used during the activities, is able to recover a significant percentage of the dismantled materials, confirming that it is possible to implement good circular economy practices also in nuclear decommissioning, in line with the The Company’s commitment to promoting the sustainable development of the country