The decommissioning of a nuclear power plant is a long, complex and costly process process which takes on average 20 years but also up to 100 years, depending on the type of nuclear reactor. VIDEOGRAPHIC
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00:00After a nuclear power plant has stopped operating, the radioactive spent nuclear fuel is removed
00:12from the reactor core.
00:14It is transferred to a pool for storing spent fuel on-site or at another installation where
00:19it stays for several years while it becomes less radioactive before being treated.
00:25At the same time, the radioactive components of the plant are disconnected, often done
00:30remotely with the aid of robots to reduce the exposure to the human operators.
00:35To avoid the dispersion of radioactive particles, ventilation systems are installed comprising
00:40filters and physical barriers such as airlocks.
00:45Radioactive waste is provisionally stored pending final disposal, a complex solution
00:49criticized by opponents of nuclear power.
00:52A part of the non-radioactive buildings is sometimes demolished, then the site is cleaned
00:57for eventual reuse.
01:00Contaminated layers of soil and materials are removed then sent to the nuclear waste
01:04management and storage sector.