The Ghana Research Reactor‐1 facility would certainly be decommissioned, either at the end of its life or by a decision to discontinue its operation. In planning for GHARR‐1’s eventual decommissioning, estimating the overall decommissioning cost is a major activity that needs to be undertaken to support budgeting and decision‐making for the project. To minimize the risks associated with inaccurate decommissioning cost estimates to the success of such a critical project, it is imperative to create an accurate and thorough cost estimate for GHARR‐1’s decommissioning, utilizing a dependable approach and industry‐standard tools like the CERREX‐D2 software. This strategy is essential to guaranteeing a decommissioning process that is safe, effective, economical, and compliant with regulations and has the least negative environmental impact. In the current study, the cost for decommissioning GHARR‐1 has been estimated based on the IAEA’s CERREX‐D2 software. This involves identifying and analyzing decommissioning activities, evaluating workforce requirements, estimating direct and indirect costs associated with each decommissioning activity, and compiling data from similar projects for benchmarking. This approach results in a detailed data‐driven cost estimate incorporating activity analysis and workforce assessments. A detailed estimate ensures proper resource allocation, safe waste disposal, and adherence to legal standards, while a well‐defined budget helps allocate funds efficiently. The study covers key aspects of decommissioning activities, including dismantling, decontamination, spent fuel management, waste management, and site restoration. The scope includes data collection (reactor SSC details and industry benchmarks), cost estimation (using CERREX‐D2 software to estimate inventories, unit factors, cost elements, and sensitivity analysis), and validation and verification (comparing estimates to similar projects and conducting reviews for accuracy). Despite the various benefits this project offers, it is limited to the quality of data provided, software capabilities, and the applicability of benchmark data. The findings show that the total decommissioning cost estimate for GHARR‐1 is approximately 8. 1 million, with management of radioactive waste and regulatory and safety compliance identified as the key cost drivers. These findings are supported by comparisons with similar projects and sensitivity analysis. This study provides insightful information about the financial planning required for the safe and effective decommissioning of GHARR‐1 and may be used as a reference for the actual decommissioning cost estimates to be included in the detailed decommissioning plan for GHARR‐1 in the future.
Boafo et al. (Thu,) studied this question.