Media

Sogin accelerates decommissioning: more than 17% in the two-year period 2021-2022

01 March 2022
At the end of 2022, more than 45% of the global physical progress of decommissioning activities is expected to be achieved thanks to an improvement of the efficiency of procedures and interventions 

Sogin closed 2021 with a forecast of physical progress on decommissioning activities of nuclear plants of 7.2%, well beyond the budget target initially set at 6.6%. The achievement has been obtained thanks to an efficiency improvement of the processes and remediation actions undertaken. 

This value, combined with the goal of a physical progress exceeding 10% for 2022, will bring the cumulative of the two-year period to over 17%: a very high percentage if compared to the overall 28.3% of the 1999-2020 period. At the end of 2022 the global physical progress will exceed 45%, with an acceleration resulting from a deep improvement of the efficiency of procedures and dismantling activities. 

 Despite the pandemic and the related physiological slowdown in the first part of 2020, the number of days worked by external suppliers on the sites was, especially in 2021, always higher than in 2019. Furthermore, in 2021 Sogin has finalised 578 contracts for a value of almost 177 million euros.

The Garigliano NPP reactor core dismantling, one of the most complex decommissioning activity, is also proceeding. On December 31st phase 1 of the global decommissioning plan of the Bosco Marengo FN plant has been completed. It was the first Italian nuclear facility in which Sogin has completed its decommissioning activities. In the Plutonium Plant (IPU) of the Casaccia site, at the end of 2021, Sogin completed the dismantling of 56 Glove Boxes that were used in the past years for research activities on the production of nuclear fuel elements based on Plutonium. 

On 14 January 2022, the public debate on the National Repository and Technological Park project has been completed. It was launched on 5 January 2021 with the publication of the Sogin proposal for the National Map of Potentially Suitable Areas (CNAPI) to host this infrastructure. The Public Consultation represented an efficient tool for civil society stakeholders engagement (institutions, associations, committees, companies, professionals and citizens), collecting over 600 questions, observations and proposals from 322 subjects. 

Sogin, based on the results of the public consultation, which included the National Seminar held from 7 September to 15 December 2021, is currently preparing the proposal for the National Map for Suitable Areas (CNAI), which will be sent to the Ministry of Ecological Transition (MiTE) by 15 March 2022. After some authorization steps, which will also involve the National Inspectorate for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ISIN), the MiTE in conjunction with the Ministry of Sustainable Infrastructures and Mobility, will approve the CNAI, which will be then published. At that point, the Regions and Local Authorities whose territory also partially falls within the suitable areas, will be allowed to present their non-binding expressions of interest to host the infrastructures to further investigate the subject and continue with the participation process for the localisation of the National Repository.
Attachments