Nuclear site value development

A crucial challenge for the future of the nuclear industry

AREVA's Nuclear Site Value Development business unit designs and monitors dismantling and value development operations in old nuclear sites in order to enable them to be reused. AREVA has over 20 years of experience in these highly technical matters. Many nuclear facilities built in the 50s and 60s are coming to the end of their operational lives. The value development of their host sites represents a major industrial challenge - even more so if they are to host new projects.

Their value development constitutes a crucial challenge for the future of the nuclear industry, and at the same time represents a significant technical challenge.

A corporate challenge

The dismantling and value development of former facilities demonstrates the flexibility of the nuclear industry: like any industrial activity, a nuclear site has a finite life span. Following their redevelopment, sites can be used to host new businesses.

A technical challenge

Due to the size and complexity of the facilities to be decontaminated and dismantled, value development operations represent major worksites that require significant volumes of concrete, steel, copper, etc. to be dealt with under difficult conditions.

Significant efforts for development have enabled us to identify now-proven procedures and techniques. The feasibility of the operations has been shown on sites across the world over the past 15 years.

An economic challenge

Hundreds of millions of euros will be invested in site value development. Worksites will need to be in place for many years, and generate several thousand jobs. They enable significant economic activity to take place following the shutdown of the facilities, pending the implementation of new industrial projects. They provide ongoing local economic activity.

Industrial activity of the future

Out of the 500 nuclear power plants around the world, over a hundred have reached the end of their service life. There are also dozens of research units and fuel and recycling production plants.

The value development of these closed sites is set to become a top ranking industrial business activity and will find its place within the life cycle of a facility:

• Design
• Construction
• Operation
• Shutdown and value development

AREVA deploys a range of specific skills and expertise. New professions are appearing (Head of Value Development Project, Case Study and Feedback Manager, Operational Dismantling Methods Manager, Rinsing Operator, etc.) and new training and dedicated support is being put in place.

Value development: long-term worksites

Value development worksites can be in place for dozens of years and represent investments of several billion euros. Well before operations begin, the front end phase requires years of study and preparation to plan works, choose the techniques to be used, and optimize lead times and costs.

Evaluation

The worksite preparatory phase runs for a number of years. Studies enable us to assess the necessary resources, to break down costs, to draft a detailed schedule, and to give a precise description of each phase of the worksite. Each step, subject to administrative permission, must be confirmed by the safety authorities. This long administrative process guarantees the safety of the worksite and the protection of personnel.

Clean-up

This phase consists of recovering and removing all radioactive materials remaining in the facilities using complex techniques, often remotely controlled (flushing pipes, scrubbing bulkheads, etc).

Dismantling

The dismantling of facilities can then begin: cutting away piping systems, deconstructing equipment and buildings, etc. Some operations may be performed remotely (remote control, robots, etc). This phase produces a lot of waste, which needs to be thoroughly conditioned before being placed in storage centers.

Decommissioning

After the final clean-up phase, the facilities are decommissioned. Buildings can be dismantled or reused for new industrial activities - be it nuclear or otherwise.

The site is then rehabilitated.

Large-scale projects

With over 20 years of experience in the clean-up and dismantling of its own sites, AREVA is currently working on 4 major worksites at its own facilities and those of CEA.

La Hague: dismantling first generation facilities

The first industrial recycling plant at AREVA's La Hague site, UP₂ 400, was shut down at the end of 2003 and replaced by 2 new plants.

During its operation, UP₂ 200 processed:

• almost 5,000 tons of fuel for graphite-gas power plants,
• almost 4,550 tons of fuel for pressurized water power plants,
• fuel originating in rapid neutron reactors. 

The dismantling operations include the clean-up of all facilities, and also the conditioning of waste, as suitable procedures were not available at the time.

This extremely large worksite, begun in 2009, should be operational for 25 years. La Hague represents: 4 billion euros over 25 years, and up to 500 people on the worksite.

Marcoule: the first dismantling of a recycling plant

The dismantling of the UP₁ plant at the Marcoule nuclear study center is a peerless benchmark for the world.

From 1958 to 1997, UP₁ treated fuel for Defense, then for the graphite - gas program (UNGG).

Started ten years ago by AREVA, the worksite should still last for another ten years. Since 2005, AREVA has led the operation as the project owner on behalf of CEA.

A number of remotely controlled, chemical decontamination and cutting techniques were developed for this worksite. A specialist facility also enables onsite waste processing and conditioning (rubble, scrap metal, bitumen drums, etc).

This reclamation project constitutes a world first for a nuclear site of this size.

Marcoule represents: 5.6 billion euros over 30 years, and up to 250 people on the worksite.

Cadarache: the first dismantling of a MOX plant

From 1962 to 2003, the Cadarache plant first produced fuel for the rapid neutron process, then MOX fuel for light water reactors.

Clean-up operations started in 2007, with the assistance of the facility's operational staff. The first phase consists of dismantling, among other things, 432 glove boxes and 44 tanks, which amounts to 600,000 man-hours. The workshops then need to be cleaned and transferred to CEA ownership in 2013.

Cadarache represents: 120 million euros over 6 years, and up to 225 people on the worksite.

Annecy and Veurey: reindustrializing old sites in an urban area

AREVA is carrying out value development operations at Annecy and Veurey, near Grenoble, on 2 industrial sites set up in 1955 and 1957 for the production of natural uranium fuel.

The challenge with this project resides in the reconversion of a site that no longer has a nuclear purpose. A partnership with local stakeholders and the public authorities has been implemented in order to attract new industrial activities and to maintain jobs at the site, which will be declassified in 2010. A division of industrial or tertiary activities is planned for 2011.

ANNECY/VEUREY represents 60 million euros over 5 years, and 100 people on the worksites.