Germany’s Nukem Technologies Engineering Services has been commissioned by Switzerland’s Mühleberg NPP to conduct a feasibility study to support the plant’s dismantling process. Nukem will assess the use of the FREMES conveyor belt clearance measurement system for the radiological characterisation of crushed concrete generated during decommissioning.
The feasibility study, scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2025, will provide critical documentation to support the Mühleberg NPP during qualification of the proposed method by the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI).
The FREMES-BM10, developed by Nukem, is an advanced system designed for fully automated analysis of bulk materials and crushed concrete. It employs continuous gamma spectroscopy alongside alpha and beta measurements to enable precise, batch-by-batch assessment of large material volumes. This technology not only classifies contaminated materials with high accuracy but also optimises disposal costs.
Based on the classification results, containers are automatically sorted and filled, while all data is meticulously recorded to produce comprehensive documentation, including limit and threshold values, in the required format. This technology ensures the precise separation and processing of materials, which is essential for the safe and sustainable execution of decommissioning projects.
The 373 MWe boiling water reactor plant at Mühleberg, some 15 kilometres from the Swiss capital Bern, began operation in 1972 and provided 5% of Switzerland’s electricity. Swiss energy group BKW decided to close the plant in 2013 for economic reasons and it was disconnected from the grid in December 2019. In 2020 its operating licence was replaced by a decommissioning order.
