Russia to Use Specialized Robots to Dismantle Nuclear Reactors
Russia has launched a 30-year project to decommission power units that have reached the end of their service life.
A unique and technologically complex full-scale decommissioning project for RBMK-1000 reactors has begun in Russia. The Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service has issued Rosenergoatom with a license valid until 2055 to dismantle the first power unit of the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant. The 30-year project is intended to serve as a benchmark for the safe completion of the life cycle of channel-type uranium-graphite reactors.
No Human Access to Reactor Dismantling
The project launched at the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant is based on the “Immediate Dismantling” concept. This approach involves the complete dismantling of equipment, structures, and reactor installations, as well as the disposal of all resulting waste.
A key feature of the project is that the reactor installation itself, at the final stage, will be dismantled using robotic systems developed specifically for this purpose. This is due to the technological characteristics of the equipment and its high levels of radioactivity. The dismantled and fragmented components will be placed in special containers and transferred to the national operator for long-term controlled storage.
A Benchmark for Future Projects
The experience gained is expected to become a reference model for all subsequent projects involving the dismantling of high-power channel-type reactors.
The first power unit of the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant, equipped with an RBMK-1000 reactor, was shut down in 2018 after completing its planned 45-year service life. The large-scale and complex dismantling project underscores not only Russia’s stated priorities in environmental responsibility but also its position in high-end nuclear technologies covering the full reactor life cycle.
