National Progress Report

2015-06-30

  1. Introduction

The Research Reactor Decommissioning Demonstration Project (R2D2P) was developed to provide a platform for training and exchange of information, experience and good practices on the decommissioning of research reactor, including in particular “hands-on” experience.The scope included all aspects of the decommissioning process of research reactors, from establishing a legal and regulatory infrastructure to the final release of the facility from regulatory control, including the management of decommissioning waste. The project lasted from 2006 to 2015 and is coming to a close now.At this time it is very valuable to find out how much participating countries benefited from the project and which progress they had made during the duration of the project. In order to find this out,national reports should be provided before the final workshop, to be held on 28 September – 02 October 2015 in Eureka (Humboldt Bay), USA.

The outcome of the projectis well documented in the various workshop papers on the following Agency website:

These documents should be usedas a benchmark for the preparation of the national reports.

1. Identification

1.1 Country Name: Egypt

Please provide information on the current Situation in Table 1.

Table 1: Current decommissioning situation*

Names offacilities
Facilities still requiring a decommissioning plan
Facilities having a decommissioning plan
Facilities with a decommissioning plan reviewed by the regulator / 1-A preliminary decommissioning plan is available for ETRR-1 (initial planning & ongoing planning)
2-A preliminary decommissioning plan is available for ETRR-2 (initial planning & ongoing planning)
Facilities shutdown and awaiting decommissioning
Facilities being under decommissioning

* Please include all research reactors and give multiple answers, if necessary

1.2 Current Licensee and Regulatory body: Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority(NRRA), Prime Minister Cabinet.

  • All nuclear and Radiation activities and nuclear and Radiation facilities in Egypt regulated by the new body(NRRA).
  • 1- Research Reactors (ET-RR-1 & ET-RR-2)
  • - Reactor Operators
  • - Fuel Fabrication Factory for ET-RR-2
  • 2- Nuclear Power plant
  • - Reactor Operators
  • - Fuel Fabrication Factory
  • 3- Accelerators ( Cyclotron & Linear Accelerator )
  • - Industrial Irradiator ( Egypt’s’ Mega Gamma I & II).
  • 4 - Applications of radioisotopes in Industry, Medicine, Agriculture and Research all over Egypt
  • - Laboratories, Factories (30) and Hospitals (300) using Radioisotopes all over Egypt
  • - Radioisotopes Production
  • - Any other radiation activities
  • 5 - Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility
  • - Radioactive Waste Treatment Plant
  • 6- Transportation of Radioactive Materials all over Egypt
  • Under the law NRRA regulate the decommissioning of nuclear facilities
  • The law has legal arrangement for a financing mechanism covering decommissioning

The Legal system in Egypt cover all aspects for non radioactive materials parts of decommissioning

[Please providethenames of the organisations and describe the responsibilities of operator and regulator for decommissioning andshow that the regulatory body is independent of the operator]

NRRA Requirement for Licensing:

1-Fuel Removal Authorization(from site)

Plan for Constructing a fuel storage building

Transportation procedures

Criticality calculation

Safety & Security

2-Waste Storage

Site

QA & Procedures

Monitoring plan

Type and Capacity

Facility layout and access

Potential hazards

Waste characterization

Safety, Security &Safeguards

Engineering structure

3- Decommissioning License

Decommissioning Plan

Decommissioning Management

Decommission Method / Strategy

Quality Assurance

Financial Assurance

Waste Management

Responsibilities of Various Parties: Operator, Contractor, Other relevant parties.

Estimation of :

–Time

–Dose

–Cost

Future plan of the Site

Note: The licensee must use the IAEA requirements for issues not covered by NRRA regulations.

2. Legal and Regulatory Aspects

2.1 Has your national legal and regulatory framework been changed from 2006 up to now? If yes, please explain the details of such changes.[Be as short as possible and as long as necessary.] yes,

Law No. 7 for year 2010 (Law of regulating nuclear and radiation activities) moves the Egyptian nuclear regulatory framework closer to be in agreement with international safety standards.

Under the law, the regulatory powers transferred to a separate and independent regulatory body (Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority(NRRA)), under the Prime Minister Cabinet).

Before 2010 the regulatory body in Egypt was National Centre for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Control (NCNSRC), under the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority under the Minister of Electricity and Energy

2.2 Have those changes been influenced by the R2D2Project? Please explain why those changes have been made.[Be as short as possible and as long as necessary]. Yes.

After I attend the Workshop 1: “Legal and Regulatory Aspects of Decommissioning”, 26 - 30 June 2006, Manila, Philippines, as I was at that time chairman of the egyptian regulatory body (NCNSRC),I started an activity to separate the regulatory activity from the atomic energy authority by two steps.

The first step is a partial separation by creating a regulatory system under the Minister of Electricity and Energy provides a separation and independence between the operator (atomic Energy authority (AEA)) and regulating body (NCNSRC), and requires the Egyptian nuclear facilities and Radiation activities to be licensed by NCNSRC

The second step is to start working with the Egyptian government to create a new system that moves the Egyptian nuclear regulatory framework closer to be in agreement with international safety standards.

At 2010, Law No. 7 for year 2010 (Law of regulating nuclear and radiation activities) has been issued and moves the Egyptian nuclear regulatory framework closer to be in agreement with international safety standards.

The following aspects are of particular interest: 1) clear allocation of responsibility of licensee and regulatory body for decommissioning, 2) ensuring the independence of the regulatory body, 3) development of licencing requirements/ regulations, 4) establishing a clearance policy with quantitative data for clearance and the same for the release of buildings and sites. Any other item may be reported.

3. Decommissioning Planning

3.1 Is a decommissioning plan(DP) in place or in preparation? /If so, please describe the details. /When was the DP established and / or amended? /Has the work on theDP been influenced by the R2D2P?/ If so, describe the points which were influenced.]

1-The ( ET – RR – 1) Facility :- commissioned in 1961

The (ET-RR-1), is a tank-type which was purchased from the former USSR, on the basis of a bilateral agreement . The fuel is 10% enriched uranium and the coolant, moderator and reflector are ordinary distilled water. The normal power of 2 MW corresponds to an average thermal neutron flux of 1013n /cm2S. It contains 8 vertical channels for material irradiation, 9horizontal beam tubes for neutron experiments ,one thermal column ,four hot cells and two spent fuel storage ( The old one and another new spent fuel storage was built and operated since 1998.

• Decommissioning: A preliminary decommissioning plan is available for ETRR-1 (initial planning & ongoing planning)

2- The ( ET – RR – 2) Facility :-

The (ET-RR-2 ) is of the open pool type, 22 MW Power, cooled and moderated by light water , with Beryllium reflectors. The nominal power of 22 Mw and a maximum thermal neutron flux of 2.7x1014 n/ cm2 s . It is used for research in neutron physics, materials science, Nuclear fuel R&D ;radioisotope production, neutron radiography, activation analysis, boron neutron capture therapy and training in nuclear engineering and reactor operation.

• Decommissioning: A preliminary decommissioning plan is available for ETRR-2 (initial planning ongoing planning)

3.2 Has progress been made onthe following issues relevant to a DP: [Please describe the progress for each facility in your country.]

3.2.1 Characterization: [describe the progress in the detail from 2006 up to now. / Has the work been influenced by the R2D2Project?/If so, describe the points which were influenced.]

3.2.2 Cost estimation and funding: [describe the progress in the detail from 2006 up to now. / will funds be available when needed and how is that ensured? / Has the work been influenced by the R2D2P?/ If so, describe the points which were influenced.]

The funds will be available when needed by the Egyptian government. That is because all the nuclear facilities are owned by the government.

3.2.3 Safety assessment: [describe the progress in the detail from 2006 up to now. / Has the work been influenced by the R2D2P?/ If so, describe the points which were influenced.]

3.2.4 Is the management of decommissioning waste integrated into the decommissioning activities, i.e. clearance of waste and materials, processing, storage and disposal of radioactive waste? [Describe the progress in detail from 2006 up to now. Has the work been influenced by the R2D2Project? / If so, please provide the details.]

3.2.5 Infrastructure (Records Management and Quality Management System etc.): [describe the progress in detail from 2006 up to now]

3.3 Regulatory review: [Has the DP mentioned above been reviewed/authorized by the regulatory body? /If so, has the review been influenced by the R2D2Project?/ describe the points which were influenced.]

All the preliminary decommissioning plan for ETRR-1 and ETRR–2 Facilities (initial planning) has been reviewed.

3.4. Licensing of a decommissioning project: [Has a project been licensed? / describe the progress in detail from 2006 up to now]

4. Implementation

Implementation of a DP: [Please describe the progress made in the implementation of a DP in your country by facility. /Is the progress in line with the DP up to now? / Has the implementation been influenced by the R2D2Project?/ If so, describe the points which were influenced.]

Regulatory oversight: [Has the regulatory oversight such as inspections during the project implementation been carried out? /If so, please describe the context. / Has the oversight been influenced by the R2D2Project?/ describe the points which were influenced.]

5. Planned future activities / strategic decisions

Solution for Licensing issues, The NRRA shall provide:

1-Fuel Removal Authorization (from site)

  • Set of licensing guidance and procedures
  • Competent personnel for reviewing the application;
  • Acceptance criteria for fuel transportation and storage authorization
  • licensing conditions.

2-Waste Storage

  • Set of licensing guidance and procedures ;
  • Competent personnel for reviewing the application;
  • Acceptance criteria for waste storage license

licensing conditions

3-Decommissioning License

  • Set of licensing guidance and procedures ;
  • Competent personnel for reviewing the application;
  • Acceptance criteria for decommissioning license.
  • licensing conditions

Please report planned future activities and strategic decisions, including items that are still pending and where a decision is planned to be taken (when?).

6. Other items

Please report any other itemin the area of research reactor decommissioningwhich is important to you and has not been addressed by the topics above, including progress of other activities,e.g. Technical Cooperation Projects.

7. Concluding remarks

L.1 Egypt have independent Regulatory Body, by law No 7,2010

L.2 Egypt has not developed a complete set of regulatory documents to govern decommissioning activities covering all regulatory functions. The licensee must use the IAEA requirements for issues not covered by NRRA regulations.

L.3 Egypt have legal arrangement for a financing mechanism covering decommissioning.

L.4 Egypt has clear Legal Framework for implementing safeguards over Nuclear activities including decommissioning .

L.5 Legal responsibility for implementing physical protection and security arrangements for decommissioning activities are clear.

L.6 Legal responsibility of the operator of ET-RR-1 and ET-RR-2 for decommissioning is clear

L.7 The Legal system in Egypt cover all aspects for non radioactive materials parts of decommissioning of nuclear facilities

Note: Egypt recommend to extend the D2R2 project for another period in order to help in issuing tne national NRRA regulations for decommissioning. The first period of this project (D2R2) encourage Egypt in cpmplete separation and independency of the regulatory body (NRRA) and in issuing the Egyptian Nuclear Law (law no. 7 2010).

How much input has been received through the R2D2Project?[Please specify the importance of the R2D2Project in your national work on decommissioning of research reactors in your own words. Was it justified to spend the money for the execution of the R2D2Project and to dedicate the vast amount of time to the project workshops?]

Prof Dr. Farouk Abdel Rahman

Former Chairman of Egyptian Regulatory Body

and on behalf of the Present Chairman of NRRA, Cairo, Egypt.

24 /8/2015.

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