Social aspects of decommisioning Workforce redeployment for decommissioning __Experiences from decom

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Social aspects of decommisioning Workforce
redeployment for decommissioning__Experiences
from decommissioning of the Greifswald NPP
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Axel Bäcker EWN GmbH
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Contents of the presentation

• The NPP Greifswald
• Milestones and important events in the history
• The initial situation for decommissioning
• General social problems at the beginning of the
  decommissioning
• General measures/approaches to solve the social
  problems
• Facts from the EWN decommissioning project
• Personnel reduction
• Privatization
• Personnel training for decommissioning tasks

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View on the NPP Greifswald
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NPP GreifswaldMilestones in the NPPs history

• 1967 start of construction (8 WWER 440/230 units
  are planned)
• As state collective combine VEB Kernkraftwerke
• The aim of the formation of a collective combine
  high independence, realisation of virtually all
  works (operation, maintenance, qualification,
  research,) by own personnel
• 1974 - 1879 commissioning of units 1 - 4
• 1989 commissioning of unit 5, unit 6 ready for
  commissioning, units 78 under construction
  (all are of more recent model WWER 440/213)
• 1990 German Reunification
• Transformation from state combine into EWN AG
  (since 1991 GmbH)
• With the Reunification criticism of the safety
  standard
• Result from safety analysis of units 1 4
  Safety improvement is not possible
• --gt Final shut down in 1990
• Result from safety analysis of unit 5 Safety
  improvement is possible
• --gt Due to uncertainties (cost and licensing
  risks, no investors) stop of Unit 5 commissioning
  and stop of all activities for Units 6 8

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NPP GreifswaldMilestones in the NPPs history

• 1991 Decision for Decommissioning of the whole
  plant
• Because of social and economic considerations
  decision for immediate (direct) removal of the
  installations (without any technical
  preparation!)
• Start of preparatory works for decommissioning
• --gt subsequently personnel reduction
• 1992 Start of construction of the Interim
  Storage North (ISN)
• Lack of storage capacities for radwastes
• limited operation licence for the existing wet
  spent fuel storage
• 1994 Application for Decommissioning
• 1995 Licence for Decommissioning (30 June 1995)
• 1997 Commissioning of the Interim Storage North
• 2012 anticipated finalisation of the
  decommissioning process
• Final status brown field

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NPP GreifswaldMilestones in the NPPs history

• Initial situation for decommissioning (status in
  1990/91)
• VEB Kernkraftwerke as a state collective
  combine for the operation of the NPPs Rheinsberg
  and Greifswald, consisted of
• NPP Greifswald (WWER 440) and NPP Rheinsberg
  (WWER 70)
• NPP Stendal (WWER 1000) under construction
• Final storage for radioactive waste at Morsleben
  (ERAM)
• Research and Development institutes at Berlin and
  Leipzig
• The personnel amounted to about 8000 employees in
  total (EWN about 5000)
• The NPPs were shut down and their decommissioning
  were anticipated
• The NPPs were not prepared for decommissioning
• No structure, no strategy, no preparatory
  planning, no infrastructure, no
• Staff not prepared for decommissioning tasks

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NPP Decommissioning and social consequencesInitia
l situation and consequences

• Initial situation
• The production stops, the turnover reduces
• The manpower requirements considerably decreases
• The payment of wages for personnel becomes
  problematic
• Consequences for the NPP
• Reduction of personnel, dismissals
• Migration of the needed high qualified personnel
• Decrease of working moral and productivity
• Consequences for the region
• Increase of unemployment
• Decrease of tax yields and less opportunities for
  investments

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NPP Decommissioning and social consequencesProble
ms at the NPP

• First substantial problems at the NPP
• Decision on general (overall) strategic issues
  for the whole decommissioning process
• Restructuring of the company for decommissioning
• Motivation of personnel, ensuring the permanent
  personnel level
• Planning of the personnel reduction
• Ensuring the financing
• Acceptance by the public

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NPP Decommissioning and social consequencesProble
ms at the NPP

• Decisions on general (overall) strategic issues
  at EWN
• Complete direct dismantling (i. e. no safe
  enclosure period)
• Realization of as much as possible activities
  with own personnel
• No general (major) contractor
• Industrial reuse of the site
• Social acceptable personnel reduction
• Implementation of a retirement scheme
• Support for privatization/ outsourcing
• Education/training for
• decommissioning
• better position on the labour market
• Dismissal with economical support

Support
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NPP Decommissioning and social consequencesProble
ms at the NPP

• Planning of the personnel reduction
• Is closely connected with the overall strategic
  decisions
• Tools/possibilities
• Early retirement schemes
• Redundancy pay for dismissed personnel
• Short-time work
• Retraining and further qualification of personnel
  that is to be dismissed
• Search/acquisition of new business fields gt to
  use the know-how
• PROBLEM Financing, appropriate legal framework

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NPP Decommissioning and social consequencesMeasur
es to solve the social problems

• Qualification/ training of personnel
• (in cooperation with regional institutions)
• for decommissioning tasks
• for better chances at the labour market
• privatisation, management, market economy
• ...
• Analysis of possibilities for privatisation
• Who? What? When?
• support measures, boundary conditions,
  dependencies
• ...

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NPP Decommissioning and social consequencesApproa
ches for solutions

• Approaches for the NPP
• Internal
• Decision to use own personnel for decommissioning
• Support for privatization/ outsourcing
• Training of staff for decommissioning
• Inclusion of local companies in decommissioning
  activities
• Use of the decommissioning Know How for external
  projects
• External
• Coordination with regional development strategy
• Support for industrial reuse of the site (use of
  existing infrastructure)
• Timely release of NPP territory for the
  settlement of industries

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NPP Decommissioning and social consequences
Facts from the EWN decommissioning project

• Personnel development/changes
• Greifswald and Rheinsberg NPP total staff in
  1990 ca. 5570
• Personnel development/changes in 1990 - 1994
• Education for new job ca. 400
• Retirement (adopted scheme) ca. 270
• New employees ca. 150
• privatization and departure with economic
  support ca. 1600
• dismissal jobless ca. 1600
• remaining personnel ca. 1700
• ? 1/3 of the employees remained in the company
• ? 1/3 got new jobs
• ? 1/3 got jobless or retired
• __________________________________________________
  ______________________________________
• Greifswald and Rheinsberg NPP total staff
  today ca. 1100

4 years
12 years
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NPP Decommissioning and social consequences
Facts from the EWN decommissioning project

• Personnel reduction at the EWN GmbH
• Blue staff for EWN decommissioning project
• Red additional staff for external projects

Planning
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NPP Decommissioning and social consequences
Facts from the EWN decommissioning project

• Realisation of personnel reduction (dismissal,
  reemployment)
• Determination of tasks
• Elaboration of job plans, descriptions and
  requirements
• Job classification
• Category A jobs will be maintained ? employees
  will stay
• Category B jobs will be reduced ? reduction by
  social selection
• Category C new jobs ? application open for
  all selection based on professional
  qualification, social criteria
• 4. Personnel selection/reduction
• Selection by social criteria for comparable
  employees
• comparable jobs, interchangeability according to
  employment contract, remuneration (payment)
• Release by special regulations for early
  retirement, work termination contracts or
  dismissal
• Use of compensation payments according to a
  social plan

Training
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NPP Decommissioning and social consequences
Facts from the EWN decommissioning project

• Privatisation/ outsourcing
• The privatization efforts were concentrated on
  activities outside the nuclear operation, such
  as
• Building maintenance
• Catering
• Cleaning service
• Site supervision (safeguards)
• Hotel
• Educational centre and operation simulator
• Software development
• These new companies are involved (partly) in the
  decommissioning process as subcontractors

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NPP Decommissioning and social consequences
Facts from the EWN decommissioning project

• Personnel training for decommissioning
• Based on the actual personnel structure
  qualification and the new requirements for
  decommissioning ? to fill the gaps
• Basic topics/training areas are
• General management issues,
• Qualification for operation and maintenance of
  new facilities and equipment,
• Qualification of personnel for decommissioning
  (to dismantling and demolition tasks),
• Material management (waste and other materials),
• Dosimetry, radiation safety and environmental
  protection,
• Quality assurance.

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NPP Decommissioning and social consequences
Facts from the EWN decommissioning project

• Personnel training for decommissioning
• Basic topics/training areas overview on
  training measures

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NPP Decommissioning and social consequences
Facts from the EWN decommissioning project

• Personnel training for decommissioning
• Basic topic - General management
• Business administration, laws, IT-technologies
  and electronic data processing

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NPP Decommissioning and social consequences
Facts from the EWN decommissioning project

• Personnel training for decommissioning
• Basic topic - Operation and maintenance of new
  facilities/equipment
• Operation of waste management facilities, process
  technology

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NPP Decommissioning and social consequences
Facts from the EWN decommissioning project

• Personnel training for decommissioning
• Basic topic - Decommissioning and Material
  management
• Requalification for new jobs
• E.g. Dismantling and demolition techniques
• E.g. Handling of hazardous materials (such as
  asbestos)
• IC, Electrotechnics and electronics
• E.g. for system adaptations, shut down
  activities, new installations
• Waste management, transport equipment and
  logistics
• E.g. plant internal transports and temporary
  storages

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NPP Decommissioning and social consequences
Facts from the EWN decommissioning project

• Personnel training for decommissioning
• Basic topic - Decommissioning and Material
  management
• Requalification for new jobs
• E.g. Dismantling and demolition techniques
• E.g. Handling of hazardous materials (such as
  asbestos)
• IC, Electrotechnics and electronics
• E.g. for system adaptations, shut down
  activities, new installations
• Waste management, transport equipment and
  logistics
• E.g. plant internal transports and temporary
  storages

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NPP Decommissioning and social consequences
Facts from the EWN decommissioning project

• Personnel training for decommissioning
• Basic topic - Radiation safety and environmental
  protection
• Due to increased amount (scope) of work in
  contaminated areas
• Supporting measures for dismantling and waste
  management activities

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NPP Decommissioning and social consequences
Facts from the EWN decommissioning project

• Personnel training for decommissioning
• Basic topic - Quality assurance and other
  supporting training

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NPP Decommissioning and social consequences
Facts from the EWN decommissioning project

• Personnel training for decommissioning Lessons
  learned
• Concentrated, specialized decommissioning
  training is not required
• Training is (in general) a permanent ongoing and
  smoothly running task
• Own personnel knows best the facility and
  decommissioning challenges
• Decommissioning works in general are not new ones
  there are many common features with usual
  maintenance
• The biggest challenges are
• To organize and to manage the decommissioning
  process
• To master the new techniques and technologies
  (new equipment)

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Thank you for your attention!