HC Deb 23 April 1987 vol 114 cc652-3W
Mr. Ashdown

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will list and describe the research and development work done since July 1985 on the decommissioning of nuclear power stations, in national and European Community projects; and if he will make a statement;

(2) what further research and development work has been done on the decommissioning of magnox power stations since July 1985; what has been the cost of such work; what additional work is planned; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Goodlad

The main R and D work in the United Kingdom in the decommissioning field relates to the project to decommission the Windscale advanced gas-cooled reactor to stage 3. This work is also relevant to magnox decommissioning. Items covered include:

  1. (a) work to specify a remotely operated handling machine now under manufacture;
  2. (b) work to specify a manipulator, now under manufacture, which will be used with the remote handling machine;
  3. (c) establishment of cutting, ventilation and filtration techniques;
  4. (d) establishment of remote viewing techniques by TV;
  5. (e) specification of a package for the storage, transport and eventual disposal of the radioactive waste.

There is also work on decommissioning the Dounreay fast reactor (which was shut down in 1977) towards stage 2. Recent R and D includes work on treatment of the liquid metal coolant.

The current European Community decommissioning R and D programme includes projects in the following areas:

  1. (a) long-term integrity of buildings and systems;
  2. (b) decontamination for decommissioning purposes;
  3. (c) dismantling techniques;
  4. (d) treatment of specific waste materials: steel, concrete and graphite;
  5. (e) large containers for radioactive waste produced in dismantling nuclear installations;
  6. (f) estimation of quantities of radioactive wastes arising from decommissioning nuclear installations in the Community;
  7. (g) influence of installation design features on decommissioning.

Mr. Ashdown

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what is the earliest date at which research and development work on the decommissioning of magnox power stations is expected to be sufficiently far advanced for a safety case for stage 3 decommissioning of any magnox station to be submitted to Her Majesty's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate; and if he will make a statement;

(2) what is the earliest date at which research and development work on the decommissioning of magnox power stations is expected to be sufficiently far advanced for a safety case for stage 2 decommissioning of any magnox station to be submitted to Her Majesty's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate; and if he will make a statement;

(3) what is the earliest date at which research and development work on the decommissioning of magnox power stations is expected to be sufficiently far advanced for a safety case for stage 1 decommissioning of any magnox station to be submitted to Her Majesty's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate; and if he will make a statement;

(4) what decommissioning studies have had regard to aspects of the safety and practicability of the decommissioning of a magnox power station taking place on a site shared with operational nuclear reactor or a further nuclear power station under construction; and if he will make a statement;

Mr. Goodlad

I am advised that pre-decommissioning safety reports will be submitted to the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate on a time scale appropriate to its requirements. The safety implications of decommissioning a nuclear power station on a site shared with an operational reactor, or one under construction, is one of the factors which will be taken into consideration.

Mr. Ashdown

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what discussions have taken place between Her Majesty's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate and magnox licensees on the required scope and content of a safety case for decommissioning operations; whether the scope and content of a safety case for stage 1, stage 2 or stage 3 has been agreed; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Goodlad

I am advised that discussions between the CEGB and the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate are currently in progress to establish the general scope, content, format and timing of pre-decommissioning safety reports for magnox stations which will be submitted to the NII about two years before the final shutdown of a station or before the appropriate stage of decommissioning. Agreement has yet to be reached on the final content and timing of such submissions which will, however, follow the general guidelines set down in the IAEA safety series document on the decommissioning of land-based nuclear reactor plants.

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