First steps of remote dismantling at WAK, a green meadow project in progress

The Karlsruhe reprocessing pilot plant, WAK, in operation since 1971, was shut down in 1990. Since then, the project Organization, funding and development of remote dismantling concepts and technologies took place. The project task is the ''green meadow''. One step of plant preparation for decommissioning is to improve the offgas cleaning system by exchanging major parts of the existing offgas cleaning process equipment, which has been in operation for more than 20 years. Because of the high dose rate of the process equipment (located in two cells) it was decided to dismantle the cells by remote technologies. For testing the equipment, staff training and optimizing the remote dismantling schedule a mock-up of one cell was erected and the total mock-up remotely dismantled. The most important remote tools were a Manipulator Carrier System (MCS), a power manipulator, TV cameras, together with special tools for cutting and grinding. One cell was dismantled in 80 working days. The these rate of the staff, especially for repair and dismantling support, was 30 manmSv. The remote equipment performed very well, only the TV systems must be improved