On February 14, INGECID visited the José Cabrera nuclear power plant (better known as Zorita) to learn more about the dismantling processes for this type of facility.

INGECID has been working in the nuclear sector for a number of years, thanks to our expertise in performing complex structural and nuclear engineering calculations and in project management, in particular our extensive experience in the use of BIM models to optimize said processes.

The José Cabrera nuclear power plant is the first nuclear power plant in Spain to begin decommissioning, so this visit was vital for a company that plans to work in this sector.

INGECID had the opportunity to learn from ENRESA technicians about the key activities carried out since decommissioning began in 2010. INGECID staff were invited to go into the reactor building as if they were plant workers, to learn from the inside how the characterization, decontamination and resource management processes are carried out, together with such delicate operations as segmenting and removing the reactor’s internal parts. They also heard about the main issues facing Zorita, about the current state of the plant and the measures that are scheduled for the coming years. The visit ended at the Individualized Temporary Storage facility.

It must be noted, however, that knowledge did not flow in just one direction during the day: INGECID gave a lengthy presentation on the new technologies it is developing for this sector, including 3D models, 4D simulations, augmented reality and virtual reality.

Work in Zorita is close to completion, following the implementation of an Environmental Restoration Plan that will return the site to its original state. The first decommissioning process carried out in Spain will thus be completed, and INGECID is following it closely to inform our future work.