The swedish concept for decommissioning of nuclear power plants and management of decommissioning waste

The decommissioning of a nuclear facility begins when the principal activity ceases, with the intention of not being resumed, and continues until the facility is released for unrestricted use and there are no radiological reasons preventing the establishment of another activity on the site. During this interval the licensee must ensure that the facility is maintained in a condition such that man and the environment are protected. The work of developing strategies to decommission and dismantle the nuclear power plants in Sweden is being pursued in cooperation between The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co, SKB, and the licensees. Representatives from SKB and the four nuclear power plants are discussing this in a joint working group. The strategies for decommissioning and dismantling the NPPs will differ between the different facilities. This is in part due to the fact that the NPPs have different owners with differing interests. SKB's task is to coordinate the strategies so that they are compatible with safe and efficient management and final disposal of the resulting waste. (author)