RADWASTES FROM DISASSEMBLY OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANT REACTOR UNITS

An estimate of the mass of solid radwastes which are formed during the decommissioning of typical reactor facilities with VVER and RBMK, which will be shut down finally in the period from 2016 to 2049, is presented. The study showed that on a given time segment, the high-level wastes for reactor units with VVER consist of metal structures with radioactivity decreasing slowly, while for RBMK these wastes consist of graphite, which after a holding period of 10-15 yr becomes medium-level wastes. The decrease in the mass of the high-level wastes for reactor units with VVER at decommissioning is negligible to 2049, while for RBMK in the period from 2016 to 2035 the high-level wastes will increase in connection with the shut down of the power-generating units but after 2035 an appreciable decrease will occur because graphite will convert into medium-level wastes. The investigations showed that most of the wastes from reactor facilities with VVER are classified as metal structures and construction concrete, while for RBMK, approximately half is the graphite.