Knowledge transfer for preparation of final decommissioning plans for Taiwan nuclear power plants - 000030

In Taiwan 6 reactors: Chinshan unit 1 and 2 (2 BWRs from GE), Kuosheng unit 1 and 2 (2 BWRs from GE); and Maanshan unit 1 and 2 (2 PWRs from Westinghouse), will reach 40 years of operational lifetime in the coming years. According to Taiwanese law, a decommissioning plan must be submitted to the regulators (Atomic Energy Council - AEC) 3 years before final shutdown of a nuclear power plant. The Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER) was awarded the contract to prepare the final decommissioning plan for Chinshan NPP and Kuosheng NPP. As part of the de-commissioning plan projects, there was a requirement to include a foreign vendor with international experience. That was one of the reasons why Westinghouse joined the team led by INER. As part of the decommissioning plan project, a technical training program for several weeks was arranged for Chinshan and Kuosheng dismantling project teams. The decommissioning plan for Chinshan has been submitted to the regulators, and the plan for Kuosheng is currently under work. The upcoming decommissioning plan for Maanshan will have to be submitted to the regulators in 2021. The process of knowledge transfer that has been in place for more than 5 years between Westinghouse and INER/Taipower in the decommissioning plan projects, has been a good tool for information exchange and for transferring international lessons learned to the Taiwanese decommissioning program.