The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in collaboration with the Government of Spain, through the National Radioactive Waste Company (ENRESA) organized a group scientific visit on project management for decommissioning from 3-7 June 2013 under the regional technical cooperation project RER/9/120 "Supporting Implementation of Decommissioning for Facilities Using Radioactive Material." The TC project deals with decommissioning implementation aspects including advanced technologies and specific types of nuclear facilities.

The Scientific Visit to ENRESA was concerned with issues relating to the project management of a major on-going decommissioning project, the former Jose Cabrera nuclear power plant (NPP) using a Westinghouse one-loop pressurized water reactor of 160 MWe. The plant was shut down for commercial reasons in 2006 and the decommissioning licence was obtained in 2010. The site is expected to be returned to green field status in 2017. The expected total project cost, including construction of an interim storage facility for the spent fuel is expected to be approximately 200 M€ (in 2013 prices). The visit involved 8 senior representatives of implementing, regulatory and technical support organisations from Armenia, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Poland, Slovenia and Serbia. ?

The visit began at the ENRESA Headquarters in Madrid with presentations about the Jose Cabrera decommissioning project together with an overview of the Spanish infrastructure and approach to decommissioning and radioactive waste management. Each participant presented information on their national situation. The next 3 days were spent at the Jose Cabrera plant, involving multiple site visits, presentations and discussions of a wide range of issues, including project management and control, financing, contractual approaches, segmentation and material management activities, regulatory framework and approaches to safety management and interaction with local stakeholders. Participants were given comprehensive information about the project management approaches being applied by ENRESA for decommissioning activities, especially related to the decommissioning of the Jose Cabrera NPP. The visit wrapped up with a final session at the ENRESA Headquarters on lessons learned by ENRESA during the course of the project and on-going R&D activities (particularly with regard to the localisation of characterization measurements).

The feedback from the participants was very positive, particularly as a result of the openness shown by ENRESA with regard to the numerous issues raised by the participants and the discussions on why particular approaches to decommissioning had been selected by ENRESA.