At the Garigliano nuclear power plantin the municipality of Sessa Aurunca (Caserta), the April 23, 2025 The dismantling of the system have been started Radwastefundamental step in the abandoned system reclamation process. The works are conducted by Sogin spapublic company responsible for decommissioning of Italian nuclear plants e owner of the Campania plant since 1999, and its subsidiary Nucleuswith a completion expected by the end of the current year. The decommissioning of a nuclear plant constitutes the final phase of its life cycle, after the design, construction and operation. This process includes the removal of irradiated fuel, the decontamination of structures and plants, the demolition of buildings and the detailed radiological characterization of the site. Given the complexity of the planned activities, decommissioning for the inactive system since 1982 and recently illuminated by Viola by the Sogin for the World Day for Fibromyalgia, requires the use of cutting -edge technologiesthe adoption of rigorous operating proceduresthe involvement of highly qualified staffthe environmental protection and the flood compliance with current regulations.
What is the Radwaste system of the Garigliano Nuclear power plant
The Radwaste system, located inside the building called RW and distributed on two levels divided into four rooms, consists of adduction and unloading pipes, three tanks already subjected to remediation by radioactive sludge in 2023as well as from all the supporting instruments of support. During the functioning of the Campania plant, the Radwaste represented an essential element for the control and safe management of liquid radioactive waste generated in operating conditions. In particular, he managed the wastewater from different sources internal to the system, such as the drainage of the floors of the classified areas, the laundries of the radioprotection devices and the radiological surveillance activities and allowed the treatment, the decontamination and the volumetric reduction of these efflusses, facilitating their subsequent storage. In addition, the system supported the minimization of the environmental impact, ensuring safety for both operational staff and surrounding ecosystem.
The main challenges in the dismantling of the Radwaste
The process of dismantling the Radwaste constitutes a complex and delicate work that integrates technical, safety, regulatory and management aspects. Given the ascertained presence of radioactive contamination, a adjustment preliminary electrical systems, ventilation systems and radiological monitoring equipment of the premises concerned, in order to ensure optimal conditions during all the operational phases of divestment. The intervention provides for the overall demolition of approx 50 tons of contaminated metal material which, following a series of merger and decontamination processes, will be reduced to approximately 15 tonsin accordance with the strategy of minimizing the productions of radioactive waste. The most complex and high risk operations, such as the cut and demolition of contaminated components, will be performed by using robotic systems specially designed and remotely remotely, which will limit the direct exposure of operational staff. To ensure the continuity of the ongoing disposal activities, Sogin has carried out and put in operation in the 2022 a new system Dedicated to the treatment of radioactive liquid effluses, equipped with advanced technologies for the drying and evaporation of waste.
How the management of radioactive waste is placed after dismantling
Radioactive waste coming from the dismantling of the Radwaste system will be subjected to Treatment processes and air conditioning aimed at stabilizing and reducing volume, and then temporarily stored in special safe areas within the central website, pending their transfer to the national deposit, as soon as it is available. The latter is an infrastructure surface Designed for the definitive arrangement of low and medium activities radioactive waste, as well as for temporary storage of high -activity ones, before they are definitively transferred to deep geological deposits. Made in a selected area according to rigorous technical-environmental criteria, the national deposit will represent a key element to guarantee the safe management of waste from the dismantling of abandoned plants, nuclear medicine, industry and research.
