Decommissioning of production uranium-graphite reactors at FSUE MCC by on-site disposal - 13149

The USSR's first uranium-graphite reactor to produce weapons-grade plutonium was commissioned on June 08, 1948, and on June 19 it was brought up to full capacity. So far, all 13 Russian production uranium-graphite reactors have been shut down and are at different decommissioning phases. The Russian reactors run 37.5 years on the average. The reactors were mounted in cast-in-situ reinforced concrete-lined excavations done in rocks at a depth of more than 200 meters from the day surface. At that moment the best option for PUGR decommissioning was to store the reactor within the excavation for a minimum period of 100 years. In accordance with the approved concept, all the production reactors of the Russian Federation are currently planned to be decommissioned by on-site disposal. This solution rests on both sound engineering solutions, and economic factors. The production reactor decommissioning efforts will be funded within the framework of the Federal Target Programs for ensuring nuclear and radiation safety. At the General Assembly held on 17 September 2012 in Vienna the Russian Federation and the United States of America signed the Agreement to conduct a joint work on decommissioning reactors by on-site disposal. The work for decommissioning the FGUP MCC's production reactors by on-site disposal is scheduled for 2012-2025. So far, the Russian specialists have developed a design documentation and safety analysis reports for decommissioning PUGR AD and ADE-1 by on-site disposal, for creation of the special radwaste isolation site (in accordance with the existing Russian legislation) and further conversion of this site to the burial one. The documents are now under an independent examination.