5.1 Germany: The unused mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication facility at Hanau will be decommissioned, Siemens Power Generation confirmed, November 2001. The company had planned to export equipment from the plant for use in a new MOX plant in Russia, but has decided the project is 'no longer feasible' in the 'current political situation'.

In June 2001, RWE Power filed an application to dismantle the Mulheim-Karlich nuclear power plant, in light of Germany's gradual phase-out programme. Dismantling is planned to commence 2003 with the project excpected to take about 10 years.

5.2 Japan: Plans to dismantle Tokai-1 - the country's first commercial nuclear power reactor - were submitted by Japan Atomic Power Co (JAPC) with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in October 2001. JAPC estimates the decommissioning project will last about 17 years, starting this fiscal year. The proposed plan includes 10 years of preparatory work and removal of auxiliary facilities, followed by the start of full-scale dismantling and removal of the 159 MWe, gas-cooled reactor (GCR) in 2011. The 3-phase project is summarised as follows:

• Phase 1 (2001-2005): Preparatory work, draining of the spent fuel cooling pools and removal of turbines. This commenced in December 2001
  
  
• Phase 2 (2006-2010): Removal of auxiliary facilities such as heat exchangers.
  
  
• Phase 3 (2011-2017): Dismantling and removal of the reactor building and core.

JAPC plans to develop a suitable disposal site to take the waste produced prior to the commencement of phase 3 decommissioning. The project is expected to cost a total 93 billion yen (some US$7.6 million).

5.3 Kazakhstan: December 2001, the DOE reported on progress made to provide for the safe shutdown of BN-350 Aktau. Successful achievements include the installation of extensive fire-safety equipment, design and fabrication of "cesium traps" to decontaminate the reactor's radioactive sodium coolant and the commencement of procedures for sodium coolant draining and processing. The spent fuel was removed and placed in wet storage during summer 2001.

5.4 US: July 2001, British Nuclear Fuels Inc. asked the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to license the Big Rock Point reactor vessel as a type B transport package under 10 CFR Part 71. The certification would allow a one-time shipment of the reactor vessel to the Barnwell low-level waste disposal facility operated by Chem-Nuclear Systems.

The NRC announced in October 2001 that it was seeking public opinion on entombment as a decommissioning option for nuclear power plants. Currently NRC regulations require that a facility be decommissioned within 60 years after operations have finished at the plant. The Entombment option would allow for facilities to be maintained in a specially engineered structure beyond 60 years to enable the decay of radioactivity to a level that permits release of the site for unrestricted use. Entombment can offer reduced worker exposure to radioactivity and reduced transportation of radioactively contaminated material from the plant to a disposal site.

5.5 Ukraine: In June 2001, a new, modern, state-of-the-art replacement heat plant was officially opened at the Chernobyl industrial site. The heat plant will provide energy for the site and other pre-decommissioning facilities.

In October 2001 the International Chernobyl Centre highlighted the progress being made on two decommissioning projects. The liquid radwaste treatment plant (LRTP) is currently under construction (a turn-key contract for the project was signed between ChNPP and a consortium led by Belgatom in August 1999). Completion of the project is expected by mid-2003. The interim spent fuel storage facility (ISF-2) is scheduled for completion late 2003. A draft governmental decree approving the spent fuel storage facility project to store spent nuclear fuel at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant site was approved by the government's committee on industrial policy and the fuel and energy complex in July 2001. This facility will have the capacity to store about 22,000 RBMK fuel assemblies and 3000 absorber rods from units 1-3 for up to 100 years. (ChNPP and a consortium led by Framatome signed a contract for the construction of ISF-2 in June 1999)

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