French nuclear company AREVA has announced the successful decontamination of primary circuit components from the Chooz A pressurized water reactor in northern France.
Decontamination of the four steam generators, pressurizer and the primary loop lines was completed using AREVA's CORD UV and AMDA techniques, which involve the progressive introduction of chemical substances into the primary circuit over several days.
The treatment reduced the degree of the components' radioactivity so they could be classified as very-low-level waste. Once the process is completed, the chemicals used are decomposed to carbon dioxide and water, leaving behind no additional waste.
The 310MW Chooz A reactor was the first commercial PWR to be built in Europe. It supplied electricity to both France and Belgium from 1967 to 1991.
Caption: The Chooz site (Source: EDF)
