Danish Decommissioning's primary tasks at Risø are:
- To dismantle the six original nuclear facilities at Risø so that the area can be used for any desired purpose in the future without radiological restrictions.
- To receive, treat and store radioactive waste from Danish society.
- To participate in the process that will lead to a long-term solution for radioactive waste by 2073.
All storage and decommissioning must be safe and environmentally sound. In addition, tasks must be carried out with consideration for economic optimization.
The six nuclear facilities that Dansk Dekommissionering has, and has had, the task of decommissioning on the Risø Peninsula include:
Danish Reactor 1 (DR1)
DR1 was the first reactor at the former Risø nuclear station and was inaugurated in 1957. It was a low-power reactor (max. 2 kW, equivalent to a hair dryer) with a relatively low level of radioactivity. DR1 is fully decommissioned. The nuclear regulators approved the decommissioning report in January 2006
Danish Reactor 2 (DR2)
DR 2 was inaugurated in 1958. It was a 5 MW light-water reactor of the 'pool type', i.e. open at the top so that you could see down to the reactor core through a few meters of water. It was finally shut down in 1975 and placed in a state of safe enclosure.
DR 2 is fully decommissioned. The final report was approved by the nuclear regulatory authorities in December 2008. Dansk Dekommissionering currently uses the hall to handle larger waste items.
Danish Reaktor 3 (DR3):
DR 3 was commissioned in 1960. It was a heavy water reactor with a thermal power of 10 MW. DR 3 was known for its high operational stability and attracted researchers from all over the world.
In 2000, DR 3 was shut down. The decommissioning of DR3 is still ongoing. However, the internal reactor parts have been removed, and the spent fuel has been returned to the USA as a result of a take-back agreement.
Hot Cells:
The Hot Cells facility consists of six interconnected concrete cells, which have been used for handling radioactive materials and examining irradiated items.
The decommissioning of the Hot Cells is ongoing. The cells have been rough cleaned remotely using grit blasting from the outside of the cells to remove the paint on the inside of the cells, removing approximately 85% of the activity, which has also significantly lowered the radiation levels inside the cells. This prepares the cells for the next steps in the decommissioning process.
Technology Hall:
The Technology Hall is a former fuel factory where reactor fuel for DR 2 and DR 3 was produced from 1963 using enriched uranium powder.
Production ceased completely after the closure of the DR 3 reactor in 2000.
The practical decommissioning of Teknologihallen was completed on May 1, 2023, when the building was released for other uses without restrictions
The treatment station
The treatment station is the only receiving station for radioactive waste in Denmark. It has a range of facilities for receiving, minimizing and sorting, characterizing, packaging and storing the waste.
The treatment station is to be decommissioned as the last of the facilities, as its facilities are still used for waste treatment. In preparation for decommissioning, some of the facilities have been transferred to other buildings at Risø
Land areas
In addition to the six nuclear facilities, the land area at Risø surrounding the facilities is also to be similarly released for use without radiological restrictions.
The majority of land areas were released in August 2024 with a comprehensive measurement report and some smaller areas are still being worked on.