Taiwan Power Company (“Taipower”) said that Shimen Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 will be officially shut down from December 6 and finally enter the decommissioning stage.
This unit has been in operation for 40 years. It is a boiling water reactor with an installed capacity of 636 MWe. Since the commercial operation, it has generated electricity about 162.5 TW/h. It is the first reactor in Taiwan to enter the decommissioning stage.
The decommissioning work consists of four phases:
Stage 1–“post-run transition” period, spent fuel will be transferred from the core to storage tank, which is expected to last for 8 years. It needs to survey the site and to form a project plan. In addition, the reactor cooling system will be vented and decontaminated. During this time, an independent spent fuel storage unit (ISFSI) and a radioactive waste storage area will also be constructed.
Stage 2 – Decontamination and Demolition – Transferring of spent fuel to ISFSI. Removing the reactor pressure vessel, the internal components of the reactor, and the piping of the reactor cooling system. In addition, the spent fuel storage tank and the primary side containment structure will be dismantled and then to decontaminate the concrete and plant. Also, removing large equipment from the turbine plant. This phase of work is expected to take 12 years.
Stage 3—It is expected to last for three years. The reactor building and the steam turbine plant will be dismantled and the site will be surveyed in the end.
Stage 4–the on-site recovery. It is scheduled to end in 2043. Demolition of other plants to restore the site totally.
NβN tip: Shimen Nuclear Power Plant, as the first reactor facing decommissioning, it requests lots of equipment and techniques regarding dismantling and waste treatment. It means in this market, it has broad business opportunities.
