Phasing out nuclear power - plenty of work for KOBAU

For over 30 years, KOBAU has been an internationally renowned service partner for operators of nuclear power plants and well-known manufacturers. The last reactors in Germany will go offline in 2022. This exit is by no means an exit for KOBAU!

“No, just the opposite.” corrects Roland Schuldt, managing director of KOBAU. “It’s with the disconnection from the network that the work really begins. It takes 2 years for the fuel rods to be safely removed and temporarily stored in the spent fuel pool. Only then can the actual dismantling of the systems begin. Always in compliance with the strictest security requirements and always a task for well-trained specialists who know what they are doing.”

Handling the radioactive fuel rods is one of the most demanding tasks in the operation of nuclear power plants. Moving (burned out) fuel rods within the nuclear power plant is work for professionals. In addition to solid training as a fitter, you have to be an excellent crane operator, have completed extensive safety training and be able to work with full protection. Such “campaigns”, as such projects are called in the technical jargon of the power plant operators, require not only specialist knowledge but also time and the highest level of concentration – any collision between fuel rods must be avoided, which is why the work is carried out slowly and carefully.

The transport of fuel elements to an interim or final storage facility then takes place within the framework of Castor campaigns – derived from the name of the transport container for fuel elements, the Castor, and campaign, which comes from the French word for a large-scale, time-limited action.

The actual dismantling can only begin when all fuel elements have been removed from the nuclear power plant. The areas outside the actual reactor area are less problematic than the dismantling of contaminated plants and buildings. In addition to occupational safety and radiation protection, environmental protection and recycling are high on the list of priorities. Safe dismantling, driven by technical requirements and official processes, is therefore the reason why complete dismantling is often not completed until 30 years later.

“Our problem is not so much with contracts. Even if the nuclear power plants go offline in Germany, they will continue to operate in other European countries and new plants are also planned. For us, the dismantling even means significantly more work than the updating and maintenance of systems. Our challenges are finding trainees and skilled workers ”, explains Schuldt. “Nuclear power is no longer sexy, it is being phased out. This is giving us a hard time, despite excellent prospects, new, cool, environmentally conscious technologies, demanding jobs and good pay.”

So KOBAU will remain an attractive employer and an excellent contractor in an international market. If you are interested in entering or switching to this field, you can find vacancies at KOBAU and its sister company SAT.

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Phasing out nuclear power - plenty of work for KOBAU

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