Waste flow tracking and product control system

The Waste Flow Tracking and Product Control System (AVK) is a software-based system used in Germany that is used to track radioactive waste from its generation, through its treatment, to its transfer to an interim / repository. It also supports the German nuclear power plant operators , conditioners and interim storage facilities in the performance of operational and licensing tasks .

task

At the various stations of a waste, from its generation through treatment, conditioning, transport, interim storage and delivery to a repository, a large number of data and information must be recorded, documented and kept up-to-date in order to control the origin, to enable the safety quality and whereabouts of the waste. Which data is to be recorded, documented and kept up-to-date in connection with waste flow control is specified in the guideline for the control of radioactive residues and waste of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety from 2008 and the Radiation Protection Ordinance from 2001. Supplementary requirements provide for the transport of the relevant dangerous goods regulations and for delivery to a repository , the waste acceptance. In addition, additional requirements may result from permits for the interim storage facilities or the conditioning sites. Independent experts examined and confirmed compliance with the relevant statutory requirements by AVK on behalf of the authorities.

implementation

In order to meet these requirements, the German nuclear power plant operators have been using the AVK waste flow tracking and product control system in a data network, the so-called AVK network, in association with the conditioning facilities and the external interim storage facilities since mid-1991.

In the AVK of the German energy supply companies, radioactive waste and residues from the operation and decommissioning of the nuclear power plants are recorded and fully documented in terms of origin, condition, treatment, packaging, change of location, intermediate storage and whereabouts until they are transferred to a repository or released from radiation protection monitoring. Are recorded in the AVK among others

the data characterizing the waste and the packaging,
the planned or performed treatment process,
Information on processing, storage and transport history,
the radiological data of the container and the radioactive inventory,
all product-relevant data that must be verified in connection with the interim and final storage and
Reference data for the commercial or organizational handling of waste disposal campaigns.

Waste flow tracking

A waste / residue unit recorded in the AVK database automatically receives a unique identification number from the system, the so-called AVKID. After treatment or conditioning, the subsequent waste / residual material unit is recorded and the movement history is updated with each change of location or transport. By linking the data records from the waste / residual material unit when they are created with the data records from subsequent waste / residual material units via their AVKID, traceability is guaranteed.

Product control

In addition to pure waste flow control, the AVK offers comprehensive support in the performance of operational and licensing tasks. These include in particular:

Activity declaration of radionuclides including decay calculations ,
Checking the waste packages for compliance with final storage conditions
Creation of various reports for documentation etc. a. Transport notifications, delivery notes for conditioning sites, interim and final storage
Inventory reports to authorities, internal inventory research and analyzes
Support for the commercial and organizational handling of waste disposal campaigns.

organization

The AVK association has a tight organization, central system maintenance and user support, as well as a central office that uses its own software to perform the function of higher-level data control, archiving and evaluation in the sense of self-monitoring. Organizational regulations in the systems and in the AVK network as well as measures for data security in the IT program itself and at the central office ensure a high quality standard for the documented data.