Culham JET (Joint European Torus) Decommissioning
Culham, Oxfordshire, UK · Operations 1983-2023, Decommissioning ongoing (expected 12 years) · Part of UKAEA and European fusion research budget
The judgement call
Account-gated at launchJET's decommissioning is the first-ever for a fusion reactor, providing crucial experience for future fusion power plants. - The project will provide invaluable insight into making future fusion energy machines safer and more efficient to decommission. - Collaboration between UKAEA and NDA to share knowledge and expertise in decommissioning.
Key engineering challenges
Decommissioning the world's largest and most powerful operational tokamak fusion experiment. - Handling and processing activated components and tritium-contaminated materials. - Developing and implementing remote dismantling techniques for complex fusion reactor internals. - Gaining invaluable insight into future fusion energy machine decommissioning.
Project facts
- Client / owner
- UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), EUROfusion
- Lead contractor
- UKAEA
- Lead designers
- —
- Project type
- decommissioning
- Scale
- First-ever decommissioning of a fusion reactor, 105,929 pulses over 40 years
- Disciplines
- nuclear; fusion; mechanical; electrical; robotics; waste management; remote handling; materials science
- Standards & frameworks
- UKAEA internal safety standards, ONR (for nuclear aspects)
Sources: UKAEA Fusion Energy: JET Decommissioning and Repurposing (https://www.ukaea.org/work/jet-decommissioning-and-repurposing/) - IMechE: JET fusion reactor shutdown highlights nuclear decommissioning challenges (https://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/jet-fusion-reactor-shutdown-highlights-nuclear-decommissioning-challenges) - World Nuclear News: JET retires - after 40 years and 105842 pulses (https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/jet-retires-after-40-years-and-105,842-pulses) - ResearchGate: JET decommissioning project (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/239410260_JET_decommissioning_project) - GOV.UK: UKAEA and NDA strengthen collaborative approach to decommissioning (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukaea-and-nda-strengthen-collaborative-approach-to-decommissioning)