Lessons learned during planning and first phases of decommissioning of the Finnish Triga FIR 1

The operation of the FiR 1 reactor ended in 2015, after which the reactor has been in permanent shutdown, used fuel still at the facility and partly in the core. VTT as the operator applied for a license for decommissioning in June 2017. FiR 1 is the first nuclear facility to be decommissioned in Finland. Going from operation to decommissioning requires organizational changes and improvements in the quality management system of the reactor. New procedures for free or controlled release of materials and equipment from the reactor are being developed and implemented.
We review the evolution of FiR 1 decommissioning plan, waste management plans and project duration and cost estimates over years 1988-2018. The estimates for manpower, duration and costs have increased significantly along with more detailed planning and identification of additional needs. Lack of operational services for the nuclear waste from FiR 1 has caused project delays after 2014, implying additional cost increases, e.g. in planning and in maintaining the reactor facility.