LD-SAFE economic impact

European End Users would save significant costs on the long run by using the LD-SAFE technology

It is actually on the basis of ensuring safety and protecting the workers and the environment that the technology application proposed by LD-SAFE could contribute to reducing the time needed to dismantle power nuclear reactors. Indeed, as reflected in the projects KPIs, the reliability (KPI 4), absence of maintenance by workers in controlled area (KPI 5) and ability of laser cutting to proceed at fast cutting speed while guaranteeing safety (KPI 6) while minimizing the secondary waste generated (KPI 2) are all safety related benefits that contribute to decreasing the dismantling time.

The figure below illustrates the ambition of the project to demonstrate that using the laser cutting technology for the segmentation of PWR internals could allow reducing the time for such project by 30% compared to what is currently achieved using mechanical cutting (KPI 7). It is estimated that a part of project time will be saved during the planning phase, thanks to the lower quantity of tools (versatility of laser cutting – KPI 3) and the simplicity of implementation (modularity of laser cutting), and that a large part of project time will be saved during the works (speed of laser cutting – KPI 1).

–30% compared to the dismantling time with mechanical cutting

Reduction of dismantlin time

Cutting

Planning

Today with mechanical cutting

2028 with LD–SAFE laser cutting

COST EFFICIENCY

LD-SAFE could contribute to improving the cost efficiency of the power nuclear reactors dismantling projects

Similarly, to the above, and because cost and time aspects are related, LD-SAFE could contribute to improving the cost efficiency of the power nuclear reactors dismantling projects. When considering the dismantling of a single reactor (one unit), the CAPEX for the project may be higher due to the procurement costs for a laser system. However, due to the advantages of the laser in respect of operation and maintenance, it is expected that the overall project cost would be reduced by 30% (KPI 7).

–30% compared to the cost efficiency with mechanical cutting

Cost efficiency for one unit

OPEX

CAPEX

Today with mechanical cutting

2028 with LD–SAFE laser cutting

Moreover, when considering the dismantling of 2 reactors in series on the same site (two units), thanks to further advantages of the laser cutting technology, especially the reusability and transportability of the modules located outside the controlled area (the laser source module and the control room module which represent the major part of the investment in a laser cutting system), gains in respect of CAPEX and OPEX would be cumulated and it is expected that the overall project cost would be reduced by 40 to 50% (KPI 7).

–50% compared to the cost efficiency with mechanical cutting

Cost efficiency for two unit

OPEX

CAPEX

Today with mechanical cutting

2028 with LD–SAFE laser cutting

Impact on the long run of the acceptance of the laser cutting technology

According to international estimates, the costs of decommissioning nuclear facilities around the globe will amount to at least EUR 90 billion by 2040. For nuclear power reactors, the segmentation of the RPV and RVI is a particularly long and costly step, whose complexity often leads to project deviations.
The ambition of the project is firstly to demonstrate the potential of cost and time reduction and better mastering of RPV and RVI dismantling by using the laser cutting technologies.
On this basis, the project will then quantify the positive economic impact on the European Dismantling market of using laser cutting technologies in order to support decisions by the End Users to effectively adopt them.