Link to the study - European Parliament - Europa

Nuclear Decommissioning: Management of Costs and Risks
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d) Speed up cooling down and transport of the spent nuclear fuel out of the facility. Calculations
for early transport were thus conducted. Based on the outcomes of the calculation, transport
facility container was re-licenced, which allowed earlier removal of the spent fuel.
The transport of spent fuel thus took place in advance of the original schedule.
e) Early strategy for treatment of future radioactive waste was prepared during shut-down of
reactors, so that capacity of existing facilities was assessed.
f) Feasibility study on dismantling of the Primary Circuit’s large components was performed in
order to maximise effectiveness of decontamination, fragmentation and disposal process of
the most critical equipment.
g) Other decision break-points (criteria used for decommissioning plan elaboration):
- to finalize the decommissioning process by 2025;
- not to exceed cost estimate for overall decommissioning;
- RAW minimalization and minimalization of the impact on the environment (resulting in
modernization of existing and procurement of new Fragmentation & Decontamination
facilities, selection of proper D & D methods, etc. ...);
- minimalization of number of external contractors in NPP Controlled area;
The time planning in that concept (What were the major set-backs in the time plans so far?
What measures were taken to remove obstacles? Etc.)
The major experienced set-back was lack of necessary decommissioning funding due to premature
shut-down of NPP, when compared to decommissioning funding system’s set up in Slovakia and
external factors (like change of legislation and following increase of mandatory steps)
Apart from so far accrued resources in the Nuclear Decommissioning Fund, additional funds had to
be found and established through:
- BIDSF fund
- additional levy on the price of electricity sold in Slovakia
- V1 NPP operator’s (JAVYS’) own resources
The second external factor influencing the original time schedule for implementation of
decommissioning activities came in the form of new Act on Environmental Impact Assessment (the
so-called EIA Act) in 2006. The new act unified Slovak legislation with our international obligations
resulting from Aarhus and Espoo conventions and it provided opportunity for deeper involvement of
the public into the assessment process.
Next to factors stated above, the decommissioning process has not been seriously endangered by
any technical set-backs and JAVYS was granted Stage 1 Decommissioning licence in July 2011, as
originally scheduled.
In addition, all usual set-backs caused by missing necessary nuclear back-end cycle infrastructure
were not the case of V1 NPP decommissioning. This is due to long-ahead planning of Slovak Republic
in terms of nuclear decommissioning. Slovakia owns and operates (through company JAVYS) the
necessary nuclear back-end cycle infrastructure – RAW treatment facilities, Interims Spent Fuel
Storage facility, National Repository for RAW.
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