Waste management in a German nuclear power plant

A common waste management system has been established in all 5 nuclear power plants run by PreussenElektra. The system is demonstrated at the example of the 1.300 MWe Nuclear Power Plant Brokdorf in the north of Germany. The complete flow sheet for all waste streams, the subsequent conditioning steps and the packages generated for interim storage and final disposal are shown. Minimization of raw waste generation, improved waste handling and conditioning methods providing for an optimum of volume reduction are described. The underlying philosophy is to do as much as possible in the plant using either fixed installations or mobile conditioning facilities which work campaignwise in the plant. In addition the use of cast iron flasks as final packages provides for a very high volume reduction of the raw waste. Methods of free release, recycling and reuse, especially of metallic materials, play an important role in the waste management system. Thus the number of waste transports is reduced and space for interim storage and final disposal is saved. All final packages have to meet defined acceptance criteria for the interim storage facilities in operation and the planned German final repository KONRAD