Economical dismantling of nuclear power stations

The dismantling of nuclear power stations requires a high degree of security and economic efficiency due to the strong contamination of components and the close spatial conditions. In order to protect involved staff from radiation, modern remote-controlled technology is applied in sectors with heavy radioactive contamination such as reactor pressure vessels. The article shows, that the dismantling of reactor pressure vessels using a remote-controlled milling machine developed by the Siemens subsidiary Mechanik Center Erlangen GmbH, can be done in a secure and efficient way. (orig.)