OREANDA-NEWS. April 1, 2009. Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Plant, together with Novovoronezh NPP, is the pioneer in the field of decommissioning of nuclear reactors. That’s why many of the operations it is carrying out to this end are unique. One such operation has just been started.

This is the next stage of Energoatom Concern’s program to prepare for the removal of spent nuclear fuel from Beloyarsk NPP scheduled for 2012.

The measures to ensure the safe storage and removal of spent nuclear fuel from the stopped AMB reactors of Beloyarsk NPP were approved by Energoatom Concern OJSC Feb 18 2008.

The head of the Department for Decommissioning of Nuclear Reactors and Treatment of Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel of Energoatom Concern OJSC Gennady Yaroslavtsev says that the program envisages a number of measures to ensure the safe storage of the spent fuel of the AMB reactors of Beloyarsk NPP. The special container and the carriage with a manipulator have already been tested. 

In 2009 Beloyarsk NPP is planning to place 50 spent nuclear fuel assemblies produced in the 1960s into special stainless steel baskets for their highly safe storage.

Yaroslavtsev says that the removal of the fuel will be effected after amendment of the license of the Federal Service for Ecological, technological and Nuclear Supervision (Rostekhnadzor) for operation of the stopped units of Beloyarsk NPP. This will ensure absolute safety of the operation.