Società Gestione Impianti Nucleari (Sogin), Italy’s state-owned company responsible for the decommissioning of nuclear facilities and for the safe management of radioactive waste and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to launch a joint effort on decommissioning techniques for graphite-moderated nuclear reactors. The MOU was signed by Sogin CEO Gian Luca Artizzu and NDA CEO David Peattie in the presence of representatives of the Italian Embassy in London.
The five-year agreement reflects NDA’s desire to explore issues related to the decommissioning of an irradiated graphite reactor and provides Sogin with an opportunity to share and expand its experience in planning the decommissioning of Magnox-type reactors, such the Latina NPP in Italy.
The MOU includes three strategic objectives:
- To share experiences and promoting the exchange of know-how on decommissioning techniques for a graphite-moderated nuclear reactor, through a structured schedule of meetings and visits between the teams of the two companies;
- To strengthen the skills of the respective technical staff, including through specific training programmes; and
- To pave the way for new and potential future collaborations.
The agreement follows those signed in recent weeks with the Italian company Graphicore and the Japanese company JAPC and is part of Sogin’s commitment to expanding and strengthening its collaboration with the leading international partners in the sector. Through a shared approach, Sogin aims to tackle the dismantling of the nuclear island at the Latina power plant – one of the most complex technical and engineering challenges in the decommissioning of a nuclear facility.
“Collaborating on methods and technologies for civil nuclear operations reflects the high level of sophistication the sector has achieved in Europe and around the world,” said Artizzu. “Being able to share best practices with similar companies within the IAEA framework represents a true virtuous cycle, an indispensable asset within our industrial sector.”
