Day 2 - Technical Processes & Advanced TechnologiesTuesday, 21 July 2026

This interactive session will explore the application of BAT for radioactive waste management from design through to decommissioning. The session will highlight good practice, practical examples, and the critical role of stakeholder engagement for successful implementation.

Key topics include:

• Introduction to BAT & Optimisation
• Key Guiding Principles
• Application of BAT across the nuclear lifecycle (interactive workshop exercise)

• The End of Operational Life - Advanced Gas Cooled Reactor Update
• AGR defueling and decommissioning status
• Transition to Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS)

• What it is, in terms of the material and form ?
• What is in it, in terms of the nuclides present ?
• Why they are in it ?
• What the concentrations or surface activity levels are ?
• The difficult bit, what the uncertainties are ?
• And that it complies with all the non-radiation based limits, such as heavy metal content ...........

Decommissioning a facility to achieve a ‘cold and dark’ end state often involves encountering unexpected challenges. Over decades of operation, the cumulative effects of maintenance, modifications, obsolescence, and system upgrades can result in a limited understanding of the facility’s actual condition. Furthermore, design basis information may be incomplete, inaccurate, lost, or altogether unavailable in many older nuclear plants and fuel cycle facilities. These factors introduce significant uncertainties at the time of decommissioning.

This presentation introduces:

• The Configuration Management ‘Capture & Control’ Equilibrium Model.
• Incorporating The Four Questions of Decommissioning.
• Identifying systems that must remain operational and are Important to the Defueled Condition (ITDC).
• Highlighting key factors contributing to cost variances when comparing estimated and actual decommissioning costs from projects in the 1990s and 2000s.

This structured approach helps reduce uncertainty and better prepares teams for managing the ‘unexpected now’ to achieving a ‘cold and dark’ end state.

Finally, we will review the unique case of the Palisades Nuclear Plant, which permanently ceased operations in 2022 and began decommissioning, and is now transitioning back to operational status in 2025.