Swedish company Studsvik RadWaste has developed a process to recycle valuable metals from decommissioned steam generators, reducing the radioactivity levels in the material in the process. The Strong Ozone Decontamination Process (SODP) uses nitric acid at 0.6pH, ozone as an oxidising medium and cerium nitrate as a catalyst. The company claims the process reduces activity levels to below the release limit of 1 Bq/g. The materials are melted having received the SODP, which has the effect of further reducing radioactivity. The SODP has already been applied to steam generators at the 80 MWe Ågesta and the Ringhals plants.
