Crystal River 3 – Duke Energy
On Oct. 1, 2020, Accelerated Decommissioning Partners and Duke Energy completed a transaction to begin decontamination and dismantlement of the Crystal River Nuclear Plant in Citrus County, Fla., in 2020 instead of 2067 – nearly 50 years sooner than originally planned.
The process involves removing, packaging and shipping radioactive materials, such as the reactor vessel, to an off-site licensed disposal facility and then demolishing the buildings.
On Dec. 6, 2023, Orano completed the segmentation and removal of the reactor components using its patented Optimized Segmentation process.
Under the contract reached in May 2019, Duke Energy remains the Nuclear Regulatory Commission-licensed owner of the nuclear plant, property and equipment (except the dry cask storage facility assets) and retains ownership and control of the trust fund that pays for the decommissioning. Accelerated Decommissioning Partners only receives payment for work completed.
Accelerated Decommissioning Partners is the Nuclear Regulatory Commission-licensed operator responsible for decommissioning the plant in compliance with all state and federal regulations.
Accelerated Decommissioning Partners also is responsible for operating and maintaining the on-site dry cask storage facility and owns the dry cask storage system assets, including the used nuclear fuel assemblies.
Vermont Yankee
The ADP member companies, NorthStar and Orano, developed and completed the industry’s first license transfer of a shutdown reactor from a utility to a private entity with the Vermont Yankee transaction on Oct. 11, 2018. As the leading global demolition company and, now, as the VY site owner, NorthStar is efficiently managing and performing the complex requirements of a safe and correct accelerated decommissioning project.
As a subcontractor on the NorthStar team, Orano applied its global expertise to segment and package the reactor vessel and its internal machinery, and monitor the used nuclear fuel stored on the onsite Interim Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI).
On Dec. 13, 2022, Orano successfully completed within four years this first segmentation of a U.S. boiling water reactor (BWR) and the packaging and transport for disposal of all irradiated reactor material, including the reactor pressure vessel and its internal components.
Today, the accelerated decommissioning is nearing completion and continues progressing on time and on budget with no regulatory issues.
Vermont Yankee Decommissioning Website
Explore the Vermont Yankee decommissioning by watching these project update videos:
As a leading and experienced provider of nuclear energy facility decommissioning, used fuel management, and other services, ADP takes maximum advantage of lessons learned documented from our own experience and throughout the industry globally.
Through its members companies, ADP brings experience from different aspects of many U.S. nuclear energy decommissioning projects, including Connecticut Yankee, Maine Yankee, Millstone 1, Rancho Seco and Yankee Rowe.