• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.387-419
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• 2021

The challenges facing companies and institutions surrounding civil nuclear decommissioning are diverse and many, none more so than those faced in the United Kingdom. The UK's Generation I nuclear power plants and early research facilities have left a 'Nuclear Legacy' which is in urgent need of management and clean-up. Sellafield is quite possibly the most ill-famed nuclear site in the UK. This complex and challenging site houses much of what is left from the early days of nuclear research in the UK, including early nuclear reactors (Windscale Piles, Calder Hall, and the Windscale Advanced Gas Cooled Reactor) and the UK's early nuclear weapons programme. Such a legacy now requires careful management and planning to safely deal with it. This task falls on the shoulders of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). Through a mix of prompt and delayed decommissioning strategies, key developments in R&D, and the implementation of site licenced companies to enact decommissioning activities, the NDA aims to safety, and in a timely manner, deal with the UK's nuclear legacy. Such approaches have the potential to influence and shape other such approaches to nuclear decommissioning activities globally, including in Korea.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2019.05a
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• pp.211-212
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• 2019

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.91-104
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• 2024

Safe radiation management is essential not only for operational nuclear power plants but also for nuclear plants to be decommissioned. When spent nuclear fuel is present on-site, meticulous radiation emergency plans are necessary to ensure safety. In Korea, numerous radiation emergency plans have been established for operational nuclear reactors. These plans delineate distinct response mitigation measures for white, blue, and red emergencies. However, clear regulations are yet to be devised for radiation emergency plans for reactors to be decommission. Therefore, this study investigated the decommissioning plan and status of Kori unit 1 to comprehensively analyze the current status of decommissioning safety in Korea. In this study, radiation emergency plans of decommissioning nuclear power plants abroad were reviewed to confirm radiation emergency action levels. Furthermore, radioactive waste treatment facilities, to be used for decommissioning reactors in Korea were evaluated. Moreover, the study assessed emergency plans (especially, emergency initiating conditions) for operational nuclear power plants in Korea for potential use in the decommissioning phase. This study proposed an emergency initiating condition that can be used for decommissioning reactors in Korea. Considering the anticipated introduction of plasma torch melting facility in Korea, this study examined the conditions of radiation emergency plans can be altered. This study identified effective measures and guidelines for managing radiological emergency initiating conditions, and effective decommissioning of nuclear power plants in Korea.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.65-98
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• 2022

The nuclear legacy that remains in the United Kingdom (UK) is complex and diverse. Consisting of legacy ponds and silos, redundant reprocessing plants, research facilities, and non-standard or one-off reactor designs, the clean-up of this legacy is under the stewardship of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). Through a mix of prompt and delayed decommissioning strategies, the NDA has made great strides in dealing with the UK's nuclear legacy. Fuel debris and sludge removal from the legacy ponds and silos situated at Sellafield, as part of a prompt decommissioning strategy for the site, has enabled intolerable risks to be brought under control. Reactor defueling and waste retrievals across the Magnox fleet is enabling their transition to a period of care and maintenance; accelerated through the adopted 'Lead and Learn' approach. Bespoke decommissioning methods implemented by the NDA have also enabled the relevant site licence companies to tackle non-standard reactor designs and one-off wastes. Such approaches have potential to influence and shape nuclear decommissioning decision making activities globally, including in Korea.

• International Journal of Safety
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.24-31
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• 2009

An effective assessment for decommissioning safety of nuclear facilities requires basic knowledge about possible risks, characteristics of potential hazards, and comprehensive understanding of the associated cause-effect relationships within a decommissioning for nuclear facility. This paper proposes an approach to develop the hierarchical structure and hazards of dealing with improving the complexity and uncertainty for decommissioning safety assessment of nuclear facilities and the resolutions are proposed to improve the complexity and uncertainty for decommissioning safety assessment of nuclear facilities. These resolutions can provide a comprehensive view of the risks in the decommissioning activities of a nuclear facility.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.143-150
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• 2023

A graded approach applies safety requirements differentially, depending on the risk potential. An advantage of applying a graded approach is that safety assessments can be conducted repeatedly by focusing on areas with relatively higher risk than on those with low risk when decommissioning a nuclear power plant (NPP). The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommends applying a graded approach to decommissioning NPPs worldwide. In Korea, the definition of the graded approach requires to be clarified. This study compared the decommissioning method used in Korean NPPs with the IAEA graded approach and examined whether the graded approach can be applied to decommissioning NPPs in Korea. As a result of the comparison, the preliminary decommissioning plan for Shin-Kori Units 5 and 6 showed that the decommissioning method for Korean NPPs is similar to the five-step IAEA graded approach.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.11
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• pp.3505-3516
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• 2021

During nuclear facility decommissioning, workers are continuously exposed to high-level radiation. Hence, adequate path planning is critical to protect workers from unnecessary radiation exposure. This work discusses recent development in radioactive path planning and the algorithms recommended for the task. Specifically, we review the conventional methods for nuclear decommissioning path planning, analyze the techniques utilized in developing algorithms, and enumerate the decision factors that should be considered to optimize path planning algorithms. As a major contribution, we present the quantitative performance comparison of different algorithms utilized in solving path planning problems in nuclear decommissioning and highlight their merits and drawbacks. Also, we discuss techniques and critical consideration necessary for efficient application of robots and robotic path planning algorithms in nuclear facility decommissioning. Moreover, we analyze the influence of obstacles and the environmental/radioactive source dynamics on algorithms' efficiency. Finally, we recommend future research focus and highlight critical improvements required for the existing approaches towards a safer and cost-effective nuclear-decommissioning project.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.541-550
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• 2022

When decommissioning nuclear power plant (NPP), the first task performed is cost estimation. This is an important task in terms of securing adequate decommissioning funds and managing the schedule. Therefore, many countries and institutions are conducting continuous research and also developing and using many programs for cost estimation. However, the cost estimated for decommissioning an NPP typically differs from the actual cost incurred in its decommissioning. This is caused by insufficient experience in decommissioning NPPs or lack of decommissioning cost data. This uncertainty in cost estimation can be in general compensated for by applying a contingency. However, reflecting an appropriate standard for the contingency is also difficult. Therefore, in this study, data analysis was conducted based on the contingency guideline suggested by each institution and the actual cost of decommissioning the NPP. Subsequently, TLG Service, Inc.'s process, which recently suggested specific decommissioning costs, was matched with ISDC (International Structure for Decommissioning Costing)'s work breakdown structure (WBS). Based on the matching result, the guideline for applying the contingency for ISDC's WBS Level 1 were presented. This study will be helpful in cost estimation by applying appropriate contingency guidelines in countries or institutions that have no experience in decommissioning NPPs.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.297-306
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• 2021

In this study, basic strategies for the decommissioning and site remediation of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) were investigated. Six scenarios were formulated based on two of the three decommissioning strategies of nuclear power plants defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA): immediate dismantling and deferred dismantling. A multicriteria decision analysis was performed to analyze the preferences of the options from the viewpoints of the timeframe to complete decommissioning, the resulting waste, the site usability, and the availability of the radioactive waste disposal route. The same six scenarios were applied to both the FDNPS and the nuclear power plants that ceased operation after a normal plant life cycle for comparison. For the FDNPS, the decommissioning project involved fuel debris retrieval, dismantling, and site remediation. The analysis results suggest that the balance between the amount of waste and the time to achieve the end state may be one of the most critical factors to consider when planning the decommissioning and site remediation of the FDNPS.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.64-69
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• 2024

According to the market research report, the nuclear decommissioning services market is currently experiencing considerable growth, with a projected Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of nearly 13% during the 2020-2024 forecast period. This expansion is primarily fueled by the advancement of Industry 4.0, in conjunction with the emergence of cutting-edge technologies such as the Internet of Things, big data, artificial intelligence, and 5G. Even though the fact that robots have already been utilized in the nuclear industry, their adoption has been hindered by conservative regulations. However, the nuclear decommissioning market presents an opportunity for the advancement of robotics technology. The British have already invested heavily in encouraging the use of intelligent robots for nuclear decommissioning, and other countries, such as Taiwan, should follow suit. Taiwan's flourishing robotics development industry in manufacturing, logistics, and other domains can be leveraged to introduce advanced robotics in the decommissioning of its nuclear power plants. By doing so, Taiwan can establish itself as a competitive player in the nuclear decommissioning services market for the next two decades.