Non Non Proliferation - Global Threat Reduction Programme Aktau - Decommissioning of the sodium cooled BN-350 fast reactor
Since 2002, the UK has provided financial and technical assistance to the Republic of Kazakhstan for the decommissioning of the 700 MW BN-350 sodium cooled fast reactor. Assistance has focused on non-proliferation, safety and security projects to ensure the safe, permanent and irreversible shutdown of the reactor and the reduction of safety and environmental hazards, particularly those associated with its large inventory of liquid metal coolant. UK assistance has been co-ordinated with those of the US, and has utilised the UK experience in the ongoing decommissioning of the fast reactors at Dounreay, Scotland.
Significant contributions have also been made by the European Commission through the TACIS programme.
The UK’s aim for the Kazakhstan assistance programme is to maintain its successful and mutually beneficial collaboration with the US agencies (US Department of State, US Department of Energy and appointed contractors Idaho National Laboratory) on alkali metal handling and disposal and spent fuel management whilst increasing its involvement in the long running joint US/Kazakhstan project to improve long term security and safety. From the beginning of the UK’s involvement with BN-350 decommissioning, emphasis has been placed on training and information transfer, for example, modern methods of project management and procurement, nuclear safety, radiation protection, decommissioning and waste management technology.
Major projects with UK funding include finalisation of the Decommissioning Plan, geocement development to secure immobilisation of contaminated sodium coolant, geocement stone production facility, and residual sodium processing to remove or passivate the sodium remaining in the reactor’s coolant circuits once the bulk has been drained, developing special traps for the removal of Caesium 137 from the primary coolant, survey of the Hot Cell waste vault and UK contribution to the Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Project..
Nuvia Ltd, formerly NUKEM Limited was appointed as UK Project Managers to manage this BN-350 Decommissioning project in October 2002.
Additional programme information may be located in our annual report. A PDF version may be downloaded from the Related Documents section located on the right of this page.