Remote controlled waste conditioning and handling a German approach

At the present time, the Federal Republic of Germany has 20 nuclear power plants in operation, 14 pressurized water reactors and 6 boiling water reactors The plants' gross electrical output amounts to about 23000 MWel. and one pressurized water reactor with 1424 MWel are operated by the 'NPP Philippsburg GmbH' The plants are situated at the Rhine river near the cities Mannheim and Heidelberg. Start-up of the boiling water reactor was in 1979, of the pressurized water reactor in 1985.At the time of erection of these nuclear power plants, the final disposal of the non-thermal, low and medium active waste was - in general - intended with mobile facilities. In the early 90s it was decided under economical considerations to condition the non-combustible, low and active waste in a stationary plant. During the planning phase, the final storage requirements of the Federal Republic of Germany were considered. The licensing procedure for the final repository of all low and medium active waste in a decommissioned ore mine is still pending