In the heart of Europe, a silent revolution is underway, one that promises to reshape the landscape of nuclear energy decommissioning. As political winds shift and economic pressures mount, an increasing number of nuclear facilities are slated for dismantling. But this isn’t your grandfather’s decommissioning process. Thanks to innovative European collaborations, the future of nuclear decommissioning is digital, efficient, and remarkably safe.
At the forefront of this technological charge are two ambitious projects: PLEIADES and DORADO. Both initiatives are spearheaded by a consortium of European experts, with Jacques Marie-Bénédicte, a researcher from Université Paris-Saclay and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), playing a pivotal role.
The PLEIADES project, which wrapped up at the end of 2023, laid the groundwork for a more intelligent approach to decommissioning. The team developed a common ontology—a shared vocabulary, if you will—for nuclear decommissioning projects. This ontology ensures that data from various sources can be combined and understood consistently, a crucial step in creating a cohesive digital strategy. “The challenge was to create a system that could handle the vast amounts of data generated during decommissioning while ensuring compatibility and reliability,” Marie-Bénédicte explained.
But PLEIADES didn’t stop at just creating a common language. The project also developed a central server to integrate data from different sources and demonstrated the usefulness of digital tools in real-world scenarios. Using data from three actual nuclear sites, PLEIADES proved that digital decommissioning and waste management support tools could significantly enhance efficiency and safety.
Building on this foundation, the DORADO project is set to launch in the second half of 2024. This initiative aims to create a holistic digital data-driven platform, essentially a Building-Information-Model/Digital-Twin (BIM/DT) for decommissioning. The platform will integrate eight cutting-edge digital technologies, including point-cloud data, 3D models, sensor data fusion, and even a smart voice assistant interface. The goal? To make decommissioning operations as low-risk and cost-effective as possible.
The implications for the energy sector are profound. As nuclear facilities age and political pressures for decommissioning grow, the demand for efficient and safe dismantling processes will only increase. These European projects offer a blueprint for the future, one where digital twins and advanced data analytics play a central role. “We’re not just dismantling facilities; we’re building a new way of thinking about decommissioning,” Marie-Bénédicte said.
The work of PLEIADES and DORADO, published in the European Physical Journal Nuclear Sciences & Technologies, is more than just academic exercise. It’s a roadmap for the energy sector, a guide to navigating the complex and challenging world of nuclear decommissioning. As these projects continue to evolve, they promise to redefine what’s possible, making the process safer, more efficient, and ultimately, more cost-effective. The future of nuclear decommissioning is digital, and Europe is leading the way.