RSS
EBRD: Cernavoda - Tritium Removal Facility
Project description
The proposed project is to construct a tritium removal facility (TRF) at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant, owned by S.N. Nuclearelectrica SA, the Romanian state-owned nuclear power company.
Nuclearelectrica operates two CANDU (Canada Deuterium Uranium) units at its Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant (Cernavoda NPP): Unit 1 commissioned in 1996 and Unit 2 commissioned in 2007. CANDU type reactors, of which these are the only examples operating in Europe, use heavy water (deuterium oxide) as a moderator and coolant. Over time, the radioactive hydrogen isotope tritium accumulates in the heavy water.
Cernavoda NPP has accumulated increasing volumes of such radioactive, tritiated water in the reactors. An essential part of the decommissioning of the plant is therefore the safe treatment of the tritiated water by removing the tritium and placing it into safe, long-term storage. The alternative to this treatment is to store large volumes of highly radioactive water in tanks on-site for many decades. This carries potential environmental risks as well as being very costly.
The proposed construction of a tritium removal facility (TRF) at Cernavoda NPP will extract tritium from the tritiated heavy water. The process will result in stable, non-radioactive heavy water and a very small volume of concentrated tritium which can be stored to ensure its containment according to the applicable existing nuclear safety regulations. In addition, the processed heavy water can be reused as the moderator and coolant again. This will save the energy for the production of new heavy water.
The Project will focus on environmental improvement and entails:
(i) the management of radioactive waste as it will reduce the amount of radioactive material, avoiding the hazards of storing it in large containers on the site;
(ii) improvement of operational safety by reducing the exposure to radiation for the staff working in the plant; and
iii) ensuring compliance with the applicable regulatory regime.