Processing, Conditioning and Transportation of RW UDC: 621.039.73 EXPERIENCE OF EXPLOITING THE RADIOACTIVE WASTE RECYCLING COMPLEX AT THE SMOLENSK NPP Kachan P. P.1, Krasnov I. M.1, Sakhiv M. P.2 1Subsidairy of JSC «Concern Rosenergoatom» Smolensk NPP, Desnogorsk, Russian Federation 2JSC «Concern Rosenergoatom», Moscow, Russian Federation Article received on January 15, 2018 The article explores the experience from the operation of RW processing complex at Smolensk NPP fully commissioned in 2015. The paper presents a brief description of its facilities and overviews the operational results. It describes further tasks on the improvement of RW management system such as, reaching the capacity specified in the designs and increasing the efficiency of RW processing technologies considering further RW transfer for disposal. Keywords: radioactive waste, RW processing complex, radioactive waste processing, RW ion-selective treatment, RW cementation, RW compaction, RW incineration. Introduction Given the availability of RW processing facilities complex (RW PC) was constructed and commis- and relevant operational experience, Smolensk NPP sioned at Smolensk NPP. Its task was not only to is considered to be one of the most equipped NPPs process annually generated RW inventory, but also of Rosenergoatom Concern (table 1). However, enable gradual processing of the earlier accumu- long-term operational life of the NPP resulted in a lated one. big amount of RW accumulated due to the RW man- The paper briefly overviews the issues associated agement strategy implemented in the past. This with Smolensk NPP RW PC operation enabling to strategy involved advanced processing of RW ac- identify the technologies considered the best and cumulating in specialized storage facilities located most suitable for their implementation at other at the NPP site. RW registration campaign revealed sites. It also summarizes operating boundaries and that the past operation of Smolensk NPP resulted limitations requiring further elaboration and re- in significant solid RW (SRW) inventory. To date, search to be conducted. some 85 % of this inventory have been assigned to VLLW category, some 15 % — to LLW and ILW, < 1 % RW processing flow chart at accounts for HLW. The accumulated inventory also Smolensk NPP’s RW PC involves a significant amount of liquid RW (LRW). Rosenergoatom Strategy approved in 2013 [2] In general, RW management flow chart involves provides for a wide scope of activities — starting pre-treatment, storage and processing operations. from those resulting in decreased RW generation Pre-treatment is carried out at relevant units up to the development of RW processing systems where the waste has been previously generated. enabling to process the whole inventory of gener- These operations performed by personnel working ated and accumulated RW, also suggesting their in relevant industrial divisions and the radiation conditioning in accordance with particular waste safety department, involve: acceptance criteria [3]. In order to address these • Segregation of common industrial (non-radio- issues, as well as due to almost complete exhaus- active) waste from SRW based on dosimetry tion of available storage capacities, RW processing inspections; The translation is done by N. S. Сebakovskaya Radioactive Waste № 1 (2), 2018 27 Processing, Conditioning and Transportation of RW Table 1. Available RW processing equipment at NPPs [1] Installations LRW SRW NPP Ion-selective Strong Cementa- Bituminous Incine- Compac- Cutting, Cementa- Heat insulation and treatment evaporation tion grouting ration tion grinding tion, SRW aluminum melting Balakovo × ü × ü ü ü × üü × Beloyarsk 2022 × 2022 × ü 2020 2020 × × Bilibino × × × × × 2017 × × × Kalinin × × × ü ü ü ü ü × Kola ü × ü × ü ü ü × × Kursk 2019 × 2019 × ü ü 2019 × ü Leningrad 2019 × 2019 ü ü ü ü × × Novovoronezh × ü × × × ü × × × Rostov × × ü × ü ü × ü × Smolensk ü × üü × ü ü ü × × ODITs × × × × ü × × × × ü — Operating ü — On standby 2017 — Under construction (commissioning date indicated) 2020 — Design development (planned commissioning date indicated) × — Not needed • Segregation of SRW based on their morphol- high performance and well-proven technologies ogy, suggested processing approaches, segrega- were selected, also based on the best practices ap- tion of SRW based on activity level (dosimetry plied at other NPPs. measurements); In general, SRW inventory can be divided into the • Surface decontamination (if possible); following groups of materials (based on particular • Cutting of large-size SRW (to a size of no more features associated with their management): than 300×300×300 mm); • Compactable (metal items, heat insulation, rubber • SRW primary packaging (polyethylene or multi- tools and parts of equipment, cable jackets, etc.); layer paper bags); • Disintegrable (PVC); • Transportation of RW packages to the place of • Incinerable (rags, paper); their storage and processing. • Subject to decontamination (metal). Further RW management performed by personnel According to RW PC designs, most part of RW can working in RW management workshop (RW MW) be processed at 9 facilities. Given the planned scope involves waste storage in a storage facility (SF) and of industrial operations, these facilities were sub- processing at RW PC if the waste is assigned to the ject to staged commissioning (involving 2 phases). category of processible waste and is characterized The first phase implemented in 2011 involved the by an appropriate activity level. It should be noted commissioning of auxiliary and infrastructure fa- that RW PC can process solid very-low level waste cilities (laboratories, central control unit, center for covering over 80 % of the total RW inventory. documentation and RW accounting, storage facility LRW pre-treatment is performed in a chemical for already processed RW), as well as a number of workshop with the resulting bottom residues being RW processing facilities. In 2015, the site was com- transferred for temporary storage to LRW and SRW pleted after the second part of RW PC facilities was storage facilities or LRW storage facilities and fur- commissioned (table 2). ther on for RW processing to RW PC. Table 2 presents all the facilities of RW PC and At Smolensk NPP, SRW and LRW processing takes their key characteristics. place in the same workshop being part of purposely A more detailed discussion of SRW stream pro- designed RW PC. The complex was designed to pro- cessing flow chart is presented below (figure 1). cess and condition most part of RW enabling their The first stage involves RW segregation. Rel- further transfer to the National Operator. As most evant installation enables to control the quality of the RW generated and accumulated at the site of preliminary RW segregation, as well as to per- pertain to the categories of VLLW (SRW), LLW and form additional radiation control. The former con- ILW (LRW) the complex was designed specifically trol process involves additional waste segregation for their processing. based on RW morphology with due account of the Relevant decisions on the selection of process- supposed further uses. Additional radiation control ing technologies, equipment and installations were eliminates the occurrence of situations when LLW based on the available experience accumulated in are transferred for processing — if such waste is de- Russia and abroad. For each RW category, most tected, it is transferred for storage. 28 Radioactive Waste № 1 (2), 2018 Experience of Exploiting the Radioactive Waste Recycling Complex at the Smolensk NPP Table 2. List of RW processing facilities (RW PC) Capacity, m3/year RW characteristics after # Installation (supplier) Designation (design capacity) (as for 2017) processing, m3 First unit Immobilization of LRW resulting from LRW cementation facility 54.6 m3 of cemented RW 1 the operation via cementation 57 m3 (JSC SverdNIIkhimmash) (RW class 4) in 200 l drums (18,000 drums per year) Incineration of solid and liquid inflam- Incineration facility for solid 2 mable VLLW 547.6 m3 18.8 m3 of ash residues (RW class 4) and liquid inflammable RW (SRW — 600 m3/year, LRW — 65 m3/year) Cementation facility for ash Ash residues resulting from incineration 26.4 m3 of cemented ash residues 3 residues confined into cement matrix 26.4 m3 (RW class 4) in 200 l drums (JSC SverdNIIkhimmash) (11.4 t/year) Generation of inflammable RW — SRW segregation facility Control segregation of RW 4 827,4 m3 291.2 m3; compactable RW of (JSC Atomenergoproekt) (820 m3/year) class 4 – 536.1 m3 Second unit SRW segregation and com- SRW controlled segregation and com- 252.4 m3 of compacted RW (class 4) 5 paction facility 755.03 m3 paction (by force of 95 t.s.) — 980 t/year in 200 l drums (JSC SverdNIIkhimmash) Grinding facility Cutting (grinding) of flexible sheet PVC 52 m3 of grinded PVC (RW class 4) 6 108.2 m3 (JSC SverdNIIkhimmash) to a predefined particle size (21.5 t/year) in 200 l drums Automatic manipulator for liquid deactivation of con- Decontamination of metal items Materials were released from regu- 7 52 m3 taminated metal items (300 m3/year or 1,000 tons per year) latory control after the treatment (JSC SverdNIIkhimmash) LRW Ion-selective treatment 5.6 m3 of sludge generated; brine Supernatant cleaning from radionu- 8 facility 88 m3 solutions released from regulatory clides (3,600 m3/year) (JSC SverdNIIkhimmash) control Super-press FSC004 51 containers (SRW volume not SRW compaction 443 pcs, 200 l drums 9 (Netherlands, accounting for package geometry — (5 drums