Decommissioning of NPD from an AECL Perspective

Abstract

Over the past 30 years, AECL has been developing the CANDU nuclear generating stations in close collaboration with the Canadian utilities and manufacturers. Three prototypes reactors paved the road towards full commercial exploitation of the CANDU technology which were: Nuclear Power Demonstration (NPD) reactor at Rolphton, Ontario; Douglas Point reactor at the Bruce Nuclear Power Development in Ontario; Gentilly-1 reactor in Quebec. AECL has devoted significant resources to develop solutions for handling, storage and disposal of the radioactive materials. As the prototype stations retired from service, AECL gained direct experience in decommissioning of - Gentilly-1 in 1983, followed by Douglas Point station in 1985. Following shutdown of NPD, AECL assumed its obligations to decommission the nuclear portion of the NPD facility. The present NPD decommissioning program calls for preparing the site for an interim storage period. The intention is to place the plant into a hazard-free state so that it can be monitored remotely from CRNL located 40 km east of NPD, with only occasional on-site inspection by CRNL staff. To this effect all irradiated reactor fuel and heavy water will be transported to CRNL. The NPD decommissioning program started in July 1987 and will be completed by 1990. The program includes upgrading and detritiation of the station's heavy water and storage of spent fuel in concrete canisters. This paper highlights the history of NPD and describes in detail the planning and implementation of the ongoing decommissioning activities at the NPD site with particular emphasis on the nuclear portion of the facility.