On February 10th, a meeting regarding further implementation of the project for decontamination of small-diameter pipes took place at Chornobyl NPP site. Participants included ChNPP experts and their partners from Belgian ENGIE Solutions. The project has been implemented within the Cooperation Agreement of 2018 between ChNPP and Technubel, SCK∙CEN, and Tractebel (Belgium). The main project objective is minimization of the RAW resulting from decommissioning activities through finding and developing the decontamination technology for contaminated equipment.
The meeting was held to discuss results of the project works performed during 2020, and to present and exchange opinions on the pilot decontamination installation for small-diameter pipes designed by the Belgian experts.
«We began our project 3 years ago. Together with the SCK∙CEN (Belgian nuclear research centre) we proposed two decontamination processes, and improved them with Chornobyl NPP. And now we are finally approving them to check which one is more efficient. It will then be used in the pilot installation, and Chronobyl NPP will use this process in their activity», — said Product Expert Tarik Bouayad, the Engie Solutions representative.
«The project is financed by the Belgian side. In 2021, it is planned to finish the design works and approval for the pilot installation, and in 2022 to manufacture the mechanical installation itself. In the next couple of years it is planned to carry out cold tests, develop decontamination procedures, adjust them upon the test outcomes, and then perform hot tests. However, it should be noted that there are a lot of factors which can affect these plans», — summarized ChNPP's Deputy Technical Director (for RAW management) Oleksandr Skomarokhov.
FYI: The Belgian company Tecnubel has been working in the market of nuclear maintenance services at the Belgian and European NPPs since 1985. The main areas of its activity are provision of services to nuclear power plants in Belgium, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Slovakia; as well as RAW management, production of nuclear fuel and medical radioisotopes. The company is a part of the French multinational energy group Engie.
