The FiR1 research reactor was purchased from the USA to Finland in the early 1960s. Finns were interested in "atomic power," and therefore Finnish engineers had a great need to learn the secrets of the nuclear reactor. The reactor, which was commissioned in 1962 with a power of 250 kilowatts, was used for research and training purposes for over 50 years, and at the end of its operation time it also served for medical treatment purposes. The reactor, located in the middle of the Aalto University campus in the capital region, was shut down in 2015. FiR1 still had the opportunity to act as a pioneer in Finland in the years 2020-2024 - this time in the decommissioning of a nuclear facility.
The carefully planned project took several years
We signed a contract with VTT for the FiR1 decommissioning project in March 2020, after which the planning and licensing of the dismantling began. As the main contractor, our responsibilities included planning the decommissioning, preparatory measures, dismantling the reactor, and waste management, including the final disposal of the radioactive waste. VTT delivered the spent fuel for further use in the United States. Returning the research reactor's spent fuel back to its origin country abroad is an exception allowed by Finland's Nuclear Energy Act.
The dismantling work itself lasted about 10 months and was completed in April 2024. The dismantling work in the middle of the university campus set its own requirements and boundaries for working at site and waste transportation arrangements. Since the dismantled reactor was designed for research and educational use, it was significantly smaller than commercial reactors. Therefore, the amounts and activity concentrations of its dismantling waste were relatively small. A total of about 60 cubic meters of dismantling waste, mainly concrete, was accumulated for final disposal in the low- and intermediate-level waste repository at the Loviisa power plant.
The entire dismantling project took over four years. Most of the time was spent on planning and engineering of dismantling and waste management work methods and tools as well as licensing of the decommissioning. Although the reactor was very small compared to our operating nuclear power plants, the work phases are similar to those of dismantling a larger reactor. Worldwide, reactors used for electricity production have already been dismantled, and typically their dismantling has taken about 6-10 years.
Lessons for the future and for customer use
Over 40 experts from Fortum participated in the project over four years. During this time, we learned a lot about the detailed planning of the decommissioning project and the practical implementation of the plans. These and many other lessons learned during the extensive implementation project can be utilized in the future both in the development of our own operations and in supporting the customers of our service business.
Fortum offers a wide range of expertise and related solutions and services related to nuclear waste management to clients worldwide. Among them, the FiR1 decommissioning project was a very unique project. It was Finland's first nuclear reactor decommissioning project and also on global level an exceptional project delivery scope. Rarely does the main contractor of a nuclear facility decommissioning project have the ability to take responsibility for not only the planning and implementation of the dismantling work but also radioactive waste management including the final disposal.
Key aspect to the success in this project is in the sustainable lifecycle thinking of an experienced nuclear operator. This includes essential safe and efficient waste management, including preparation for the decommissioning and dismantling of the reactor. In addition to the long-term nuclear waste management practiced at our own nuclear facilities, we have gained experience in nuclear facility decommissioning projects through our service business, for example, in Sweden.
Finnish engineers made history in the early 1960s by commissioning Finland's first nuclear reactor. It was an honor to be involved in writing the final chapter of its history and to gather the lessons learned for future use.
