Expert Nuclear Decommissioning Services

The UK has a legacy of aging nuclear sites at various stages along the nuclear decommissioning life cycle. TÜV SÜD has the technical expertise to understand all aspects of decommissioning, waste conditioning and disposal ranging from strategic optioneering and feasibility studies to size reduction, decontamination, remote operations and waste handling techniques.

What is nuclear decommissioning?

Nuclear decommissioning services involve monitoring and supervising the decommissioning of nuclear power plants (NPPs) and other nuclear facilities. It includes an assessment of dismantling concepts, safety and decommissioning reports as well as accompanying control in the post-operational and decommissioning phase. It can also cover planning for decommissioning, engagement with regulatory bodies and a review of final waste disposal concepts.

Why is nuclear decommissioning important?

The demonstration of safe and effective decommissioning and waste management is an integral part of nuclear facility management & operation. The inclusion and consideration of decommissioning at the design, operating, and post operational clean out stages demonstrates safe and effective nuclear stewardship by site license holders.

Why choose TÜV SÜD for nuclear decommissioning?

TÜV SÜD helps you manage your nuclear power plant decommissioning safely and efficiently.

Our nuclear decommissioning services can help suppliers and operators determine the costs and funding requirements to ensure adequate provisions for decommissioning. Key learnings from the decommissioning of redundant nuclear installations can also be incorporated into the design and construction of new-build NPPs and other nuclear facilities.

TÜV SÜD's Services

Decommissioning Strategies

TÜV SÜD undertakes decommissioning challenges by the application of a 'waste led' approach. This involves the application of process wiring diagrams and a nodal approach to define, understand and communicate the challenges. This ensures an integrated, robust and holistic approach to the decommissioning challenge. Having understood the challenge, we provide decommissioning guidance and input to strategies and methodologies at a range of levels. Typically, this is achieved by implementing a staged and structured approach that may involve a range of stakeholders.

Our services include:

• POCO characterisation requirement studies
• Lifetime plan analysis including review of the packages of scope to ensure that decommissioning challenges are addressed appropriately
• Opportunity identification such that critical path activities can be reached quicker
• End state definition
• Stakeholder workshops
• Peer review
• Option Studies
• Feasibility Studies
• Lessons learned facilitation

We provide support to a range of clients with this application of tools and methodologies. These are adaptable across a range of applications from POCO definition for ageing/redundant nuclear facilities, to the care and maintenance for continued safe operation of existing facilities.

Decommissioning Planning & Estimating

TÜV SÜD has significant expertise in helping clients to understand the costs of decommissioning which feeds into decision making and business case assessment.

Our services include:

• Provision of bespoke cost models to plan decommissioning tasks
• End state scenario planning and costing
• Technology roadmaps showing underpinning requirements and sequencing
• Consultants trained in the use of the DEMplus software
• Development of Lifetime Plans
• Waste assessment & characterisation to support cost estimation
• Provision of decommissioning safety cases to feed planning and estimation tasks
• Peer review of decommissioning safety cases

Decommissioning Methodologies

TÜV SÜD has amassed experience across a large variety of decommissioning projects, with an extensive understanding of the tools and techniques which can be applied to any particular decommissioning challenge. We approach any decommissioning challenge by 'applying a waste led approach' and endeavouring to understand how the decommissioning/waste retrievals step fits within the life cycle of the waste process.

Our services include:

• Decommissioning methodology development for alpha facilities where material can be contact handleable
• Contact handleable ALARP assessment
• Internal dose uptake assessments
• Decommissioning methodology development for beta/gamma facilities
• Assessment of remote handling systems, tooling and size reduction techniques
• Decommissioning methodology development for tritiated facilities
• Independent peer assessment of decision analysis of options definition and application of appropriate decommissioning tooling, methodologies / techniques