International co-operation on decommissioning

CPD Management Board Meeting, 19-20 November 2020

The NEA Co-operative programme for the Exchange of Scientific and Technical Information Concerning Nuclear Decommissioning Projects (CPD) held its management board meeting on 19-20 November 2020.

Launched in 1985, the CPD is a joint undertaking of a limited number of organisations that are actively executing or planning the decommissioning of nuclear facilities. The programme aims to facilitate an exchange of information and operational experience in decommissioning nuclear installations. It fosters the application of safe, environmentally sound and cost-effective methods in all decommissioning projects.

At the November meeting, the Management Board unanimously accepted two new projects into the programme, bringing the total number of reactor and fuel facility projects participating in the programme to 75: Ågesta Nuclear Power Station (ASEA) and Ringhals Nuclear Power Plant in Sweden. Following this decision, the CPD membership now includes 28 organisations from 15 NEA member countries, two non-NEA members and the European Commission (EC).

The Management Board also decided to organise a workshop for CPD members on decommissioning techniques. The objective of this on-site workshop would be to share technical experience on a dedicated decommissioning technique used on the host site, e.g. mechanical cutting of reactor pressure vessel internals, remote techniques, and virtual reality. The workshop would be held in either 2021 or 2022, depending on the international travel situation within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition, the group also plans to publish a CPD 10-year anniversary report by the end of 2021. The report will provide a global overview of the development of the decommissioning industry, the history of the CPD and the knowledge and insights gained through the programme in the past decade.

See also