Lifetime strategy
The current preferred strategy for decommissioning Dungeness A like all UK Magnox nuclear power stations is deferred site clearance, allowing for total site clearance around 100 years after cessation of generation. It minimises risk to workers, public and the environment, minimises waste volumes, is technically straight forward and makes financial sense.
Magnox South Ltd is applying its knowledge and expertise to accelerate the decommissioning work plan which doesn’t preclude a reduction in the 100-year period to total site clearance.
Now that the site has ceased generation, the immediate priorty is hazard reduction through the safe and efficient removal of all spent nuclear fuel from the reactors and storage ponds. Fuel will then be transported to Sellafield for reprocessing.
The decommissioning plan at Dungeness A
Defuelling
- Removal of irradiated fuel from the reactors and storage ponds and despatch to Sellafield for reprocessing
- Maintenance of plant and systems to support defuelling
- Isolation and segregation where necessary of redundant plant and systems
Care & Maintenance Preparations - Approx 15 years; carried out in parallel with defuelling
- Installation of an electrical overlay system
- Deplanting, removal of asbestos hazard and demolition of the turbine hall
- Deplanting, decontamination and demolition of all active facilities
- Retrieval, processing and packaging of all operational wastes
- Construction of a purpose-built intermediate level waste store
- Decontamination of the effluent discharge line and construction of a new discharge line
- Reactor buildings deplanted and decontaminated and placed in a passively and secure state
- Removal of fuelling machines and associated equipment
- Decontamination, deplanting and demolition of the spent fuel handling ponds
Care & Maintenance - Approx 80 years
- Natural decay of residual radioactivity in the 2 reactor buildings
- Site monitored for reactor conditions and security as the radioactivity inside the reactors naturally decays
- Radiological and environmental monitoring
- Regular inspection of site conditions and maintenance where necessary
- Transportation of all intermediate level waste for permanent disposal off site in line with UK strategy
Final Site Clearance
- Decontamination and dismantling of the intermediate level waste processing building and store
- Dismantling and demolition of all remaining buildings on site
- Removal and management of waste
- Land remediation
- Site delicensed and made available for potential reuse
Dungeness A Lifetime Plan
