Innovative product development for the dismantling of nuclear facilities

"Innovative product development for the decommissioning of nuclear facilities - efficiency and international perspectives" from the 19 January 2024 | 16:00 - 18:00

The nuclear phase-out in Germany has led to the decommissioning and dismantling of all German nuclear power plants since the "moratorium on the nuclear phase-out" in 2023. This change has had a significant impact on the nuclear technology sector and the world of work in Germany. Since the original decision to phase out nuclear power in 2000, the nuclear technology sector in Germany has seen a decline in investment and a decrease in public interest in the industry. These developments have forced operating companies to focus more on new technologies and products in order to make the dismantling of nuclear facilities more efficient, safer and faster.

In this context, products were presented that make the process of releasing materials such as metal and building structures from nuclear and radiation protection monitoring efficient and cost-effective. These products arise from the globally unique situation in Germany and have the potential to revolutionise the industrial dismantling of nuclear facilities not only in Germany, but also internationally.

The presentation focussed on specific application examples to illustrate how these products can support the dismantling process. A particular focus was placed on ensuring safety, environmental protection and efficiency. The specific challenges and limitations of product development in nuclear technology were also highlighted.

Finally, the online presentation gave an outlook on the future and showed how these innovative technologies and products could influence the nuclear technology sector not only in Germany, but also globally.

Speaker

Bastian Weinhorst has extensive experience in international projects, including the European Spallation Source and the ITER fusion reactor. As team leader at Safetec GmbH, he is responsible for the development of software products for the decommissioning of nuclear power plants and is also the product manager for the SIStec software.

Before working as a project manager for the further development of the evaluation software for free measurement systems (SIStec), he worked at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) on radiation protection calculations for the ITER fusion reactor. During his doctorate at the Ruhr University Bochum, he investigated particle transport in the solar wind. His interest in radiation protection issues thus extends beyond nuclear technology and encompasses areas such as medicine, mining and space research.

You can find the presentation here: Innovative-product-development-for-deconstruction