Refurbishment of the tritium laboratories at SCK-CEN

The SCK-CEN tritium laboratories were commissioned in 1975 for a maximum tritium inventory of 37 TBq. With an aim to improve the infrastructure, the capabilities and safety, SCK-CEN's general management decided to refurbish the laboratories. A new ventilation system, including a stack and gloveboxes equipped with a detritiation installation, will allow a higher tritium inventory limit of 0.37 PBq. This paper discusses the ongoing refurbishment of the two neighboring tritium laboratories. Currently one laboratory has been de-nuclearized whilst the other is still in operation. Nevertheless a number of conclusions can already be drawn. We succeeded in de-nuclearizing most of the equipment and infrastructure without personnel receiving measurable tritium doses. If the free released metals had been disposed off at a nuclear melting facility, 22% of the costs could have been saved, however free release is more socially acceptable. (authors)