The Latina plant, a 153-MW Magnox graphite gas-cooled reactor that began commercial operation in January 1964, is the last of Italy’s four commercial nuclear plants to be given a decommissioning decree. It was permanently shut down in December 1987 as a result of a referendum on nuclear power that followed the April 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Sogin took over ownership of the site in November 1999.
Sogin said in a statement that phase one of decommissioning is expected to cost €270m and be completed in 2027. Phase two will not be able to begin until Italy has built a national repository. The site selection process for the repository has not yet begun, but the schedule published inn 2019 was to have in operation by 2025.
The twofold objective of phase one is to increase safety levels and reduce environmental impact.
Main projects include the dismantling of six boilers, with a total weight of over 3,600 tonnes, and reducing the height of the reactor building from 53 to 38 meters. A number of buildings and auxiliary systems will be dismantled.
Sogin said radioactive waste will be stored onsite, both in a new temporary storage facility and in specifically adapted reactor building premises.
