Page 108 - Beyond Decommissioning

Relevant factors for 5

redevelopment

Various objectives for decommissioning can be taken onboard in both the planning
and execution of activities and the perception aspects as they affect the smooth and
cost-effective progress of the work. The “total demolition” approach, while useful
in planning the decommissioning work, tends to foster decommissioning strategies
that go much further (e.g., unrestricted release) than some segments of society would
choose. It may not appreciate the important role that reuse of the facility, the site, or
parts thereof might play in contributing to a fully successful outcome of the
decommissioning project (having included all its stakeholders in this evaluation).
It is perhaps obvious, as a result of the value of the land released after
decommissioning, that cessation of one nuclear activity will lead into the site reuse
in a new activity. Experience from early nuclear redevelopment projects has identified
many issues which can have an important bearing on the redevelopment potential of
sites and the work that lies ahead.
Most nuclear installations benefit from a good topography, well-consolidated
access to utilities, transport and communication routes, and skilled labor, all of which
should be factors conducive to fast and effective redevelopment. At some sites non-
nuclear activities are already established before the closing of nuclear operations and
normally set the basis for site redevelopment.
Given that this is the case and that decommissioning of nuclear installations will
usually be followed by site redevelopment it is reasonable to consider the implications
of deliberately planning for decommissioning taking account of subsequent redevel-
opment. It should be clearly stated that reuse of a site after its release is due to happen
anyway, but delays (and unnecessary expenses) will heavily weigh on the outcome.
On many occasions, a reuse design reflects the community’s goals or civic pride. In
some cases, only the outer structure of the plant has been conserved. In other cases, the
industrial equipment has either been reutilized for new manufacturing purposes or has
been restored as a showcase piece or a memorial to building’s history. Regardless of
the specific reuse selected, repurposing industrial plants provides a unique opportunity
to preserve a building’s distinctive architecture and identity. The case studies
highlighted here offer diverse facility and site options. Once redeveloped beyond a
possibly dilapidated state, these industrial relics serve as an impressive and educa-
tional tool on the history of industry. Although the total costs for an adaptive reuse
project varies case to case, recycling projects can become more expensive due to envi-
ronmental cleanup efforts or the selected reuse. A few projects were primarily funded
by private investors. However, most adaptive reuse examples utilized a variety of
financial tools from both public and private sources to minimize the total costs.
In some examples, historic preservation has been effected concurrently with sus-
tainable design. These projects highlight the ability to successfully restore a facility’s
Beyond Decommissioning. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102790-5.00005-1
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