Fourteen experts from all over the world met in Slovakia between 18 and 22 October 2021 as part of a Technical Advisory Group 70 (TAG) meeting to discuss the decommissioning process of nuclear power plants and related activities.

Due to the unfavourable pandemic situation, the Technical Advisory Group at the OECD NEA (OECD Nuclear Energy Agency) held a series of online meetings, but finally, with a slight time delay, a face-to-face meeting of expert technicians was held in premises of company JAVYS. This meeting primarily serves for the professional exchange of scientific and technical information on the decommissioning of nuclear facilities, and meetings of the TAG Working Group are in principle organized on site of the nuclear facility under decommissioning.

During the TAG 70 meeting in Slovakia, the experts from Sweden, Switzerland, France, Japan, Taiwan, Denmark and Italy had the opportunity to visit the controlled area of the V1 nuclear power plant in Jaslovské Bohunice, where dismantling activities and fragmentation of reactor coolant system large components are being implemented. In addition, they inspected the control room of Interim Storage of RAW and National Radwaste Repository in Mochovce.

Experts in different fields and stages of decommissioning from different parts of the world took the opportunity to compare approaches to decommissioning and, in particular, their practical experience. Our colleagues from abroad appreciated the experience gained from activities implemented in company JAVYS, a. s., in the field of safe decommissioning of nuclear facilities, radioactive waste management and in particular, a high volume of materials released into environment as well as major progress made in the V1 nuclear power plant decommissioning.

The next TAG 70 meeting should take place in Japan, but the final decision will not be made until January 2022 based on the current pandemic situation.

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