Reactor Decommissioning History
Fermi Unit-1
revised 2010-02-22

Overview

Enrico Fermi Unit 1 was a sodium cooled fast breeder power reactor. Over the years it had a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, a fuel melting incident, repair and recovery, and upgraded in output capacity. It achieved a generating capacity of 200 MWt and operated from August 1963 to September 1972. Full power days was less than 60 days (this has not been confirmed). The reactor is 14.5-feet (4.4-meter) maximum diameter x 36.3-feet (11-meter) tall. Unit 2 is on the same site and operating.

Reactor Decommissioning Specifics

Internals Removal
Internals are still in place, but the fuel and bulk sodium was removed years ago. This reactor is more complex than traditional (SONGS-1, Rancho-Seco, TMI-2, etc.) commercial power reactors. It has many more "Internals". With a few exceptions the internals are believed to be Class A.

Reactor Vessel Removal
The lower reactor vessel is 9.5-feet diameter x 21-feet tall. However, it is part of a larger "vessel". This makes removal in one piece of only the "lower" vessel a possibility. The large vessel is surrounded by graphite blocks and a steel shielding structure that will probably need to be removed also. Internals are grouted and preparing for intact removal.

Segmentation and Packaging Plan (S&P Plan)
Unknown

Key People
Lynne Goodman, Fermi-1 Manager
Dan Breiding, Decommissioning Project Coordinator Fermi-1

Contractors
none awarded (for the reactor work).

Comments
Per the NRC web page on Feb 22, 2010 "the reactor vessel has grouted and is being prepared for removal" with estimated date of closure October 2012.

Related Publications and Documents
Presentations and other items do exist but are not listed here. Information on the actual work done will be listed here as they become available.

References
"Fermi-1 Chronology" available from Fermi-1 in early 2005,
A brief Fermi-1 overview that was available from Fermi-1 in early 2005,
NRC web page 8/15/05.
NRC web page 2/22/10.

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