JET decommissioning project

The Joint European Torus (JET) at Culham in Oxfordshire is an experimental facility investigating the conditions necessary for the initiation and stable operation of a nuclear fusion reactor. It is the largest project of the European fusion programme. JET is currently operated by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) for the European Fusion Development Agreement under the JET operation contract. The UKAEA is responsible for the safe decommissioning of the JET facility once the experimental programme is finished. Local authority planning consent then requires removal of the associated equipment and buildings by the end of December 2022. This paper describes the stages involved in decommissioning the JET facility and the areas of uncertainty when planning the decommissioning activities. It also describes the work that is being undertaken by the UKAEA Fusion Decommissioning Group in preparation for the eventual decommissioning of the facility. (author)