Reprocessing Plant Karlsruhe

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The Reprocessing Plant Karlsruhe (WAK - Wiederaufarbeitungsanlage Karlsruhe) was designed for a throughput of a maximum of 35 t uranium at 200 days of operation per year with an enrichment of up to 3% U-235 equivalent. The disintegration of the fuel elements was effected in the chop-leach process, the U/Pu separation in the dual-cyclical PUREX process with 30% TBP in n-dodecane. Since the commissioning of the plant in 1971, about 200 t irradiated fuel was reprocessed and more than 1 t plutonium separated until the end of the operation in 1990. The total plutonium separated in this plant is equal to an energy content of 1.5 million t hard coal at a fissile share of 70%. The high active liquid waste of 60 m³ which resulted during the reprocessing is stored on the premises of the WAK. The Vitrification Plant Karlsruhe is presently erected on the premises of the WAK for the waste solidification in order to obtain a product suitable for ultimate disposal. The dismantling work of the WAK began in 1996.