The dismantling of the Garigliano power plant vessel has begun

21 December 2023

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The upper part of the vessel known as the ‘head’, the steel container in which the nuclear reaction took place during plant operation, was opened at the Garigliano power plant (in the municipality of Sessa Aurunca, Caserta) yesterday. For the first time in Italy, Sogin and its subsidiary Nucleco will begin ‘attacking the vessel’ in what is considered the most complex step in terms of engineering and operations for a nuclear power plant’s decommissioning programme. A source of pride for all the workers of the Group and its contractors, this is a significant achievement that allows us to enter the final phase of nuclear decommissioning of the Campania site. Specifically, opening the vessel will allow water to flow out and fill the reactor channel until the vessel inside it is completely submerged. This will allow subsequent dismantling operations to be carried out under water, a natural element that shields radiation and allows technicians to proceed safely. A series of preparatory activities had to be carried out before ‘attacking the vessel’. These included restoring all the reactor building’s auxiliary systems for electric power, ventilation, automation and control, and also the reactor channel flooding circuit. Due to its importance and complexity, yesterday's intervention was carried out under the supervision of the ISIN, the National Inspectorate for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection. The first phase of the dismantling programme requires removing the equipment from the vessel’s upper part by the first quarter of 2024. Sogin will then begin dismantling the vessel and the systems and components of the reactor building known as internals.​​​