STATUS OF WORK ON DECOMMISSIONING THE THTR-300

The nuclear power plant in Hamm-Uentrop, which is equipped with a 308 MWe thorium high-temperature reactor, the THTR 300, had been accepted for commercial operation on June 1, 1987 and shut down for a scheduled annual revision on September 29, 1988. After lengthy negotiations about restarting the plant, the reactor was shut down permanently on September 1, 1989. Decommissioning will comprise four phases: Safe containment is to be attained by 1994. The plant is to be maintained in this regime for thirty years, before the THTR is to be dismantled. At present, the reactor is in the outage mode until the permit for unloading the core has been granted.