National Workshop on Nuclear Facility Decommissioning Technology was held in Beijing on 29 November. This meeting was hosted by China Nuclear Society (CNS) Nuclear Safety Chapter, China Environmental Science Society (CESS) Radioactive Waste Committee and China Society of Radiation Protection (CSRP) Radioactive Waste Management and Nuclear Facility Decommissioning Chapter, and executed by NSC. More than 200 experts and scholars from over 50 bodies or organizations attended the meeting. The workshop participants also included invited guests, who were academicians of Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), IAEA officers and 21 experts and representatives from NPC Environment Protection and Resources Conservation Committee, MEE, State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTI) Nuclear Technology Support Center, CNNC, China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group, and State Power Investment Corporation Limited (SPI).

Focusing on the nuclear facility decommissioning and the related safety management concerned, the experts and representatives for the symposium described the current status of nuclear facility decommissioning management and related technology research and development domestically, and the serious challenges to be tackled from both the management’s and implementer’s perspectives. They elaborated the strategies for nuclear facility decommissioning safety management, the new requirements put forward in Nuclear Safety Act for nuclear facility decommissioning, and the progress and plan for the management and development in nuclear facility decommissioning. Some of experts noted that the organizational system for radioactive waste disposal should be improved, and the Radioactive Waste Management Act should be developed as soon as possible. The incentive mechanism for decommissioning and waste management should also be established. The meeting concluded that nuclear safety is the lifeline for the development of nuclear industry and an important component of national security. Decommissioning work should be completed thoroughly in a way to ensure the safety of people and the environment. Early nuclear facilities should be decommissioned as soon as possible to eliminate potential safety hazards. Earlier consideration should be paid to the readiness for the newly-constructed nuclear facilities to be decommissioned safely. Capability of regulatory oversight should be enhanced under Nuclear Safety Act from the perspective of nuclear facility decommissioning. Four possible aspects may be implemented for nuclear facility decommissioning. The first is to enhance developing the relevant laws, regulations and standards in a way to lay the solid foundation for nuclear facility decommissioning. The second is to strengthen the development of human resource with technical-capability for forging an iron army which is necessary for regulatory oversight of nuclear facility decommissioning. The next is to strengthen the development of technological capability to provide the support to regulatory oversight of decommissioning. The last is to deepen the international cooperation to provide the experiences acceptable internationally in regulatory oversight of decommissioning.

From the viewpoints of meeting the practical needs for decommissioning the early-stage nuclear facilities and of addressing the challenge faced by the future nuclear power expansion, this meeting provided an excellent platform for improving nuclear facility decommissioning safety, and strongly advanced the sustainable development of nuclear energy and eco-environment protection.