11 May A facility is winding down

At the waste treatment plant, a loud hum that required earplugs has been replaced by a gentler buzz. And a chapter in Risø's history has just closed.

SSince the establishment of Atomstation Risø in the 1950s, the colossal evaporation plant concealed within the waste treatment plant has purified large volumes of water from radioactivity. The plant has now likely completed its final operational cycle, and a new, much smaller machine has taken its place.

An underground network of water pipes and tanks runs between the buildings on the Risø peninsula. Here, the so-called active water from sources such as decontamination booths and certain sinks is collected; this refers to wastewater that may contain radioactive substances. A tanker truck regularly transports this water from the tanks to a central tank at the waste treatment plant.

For many years, the water was distilled in a lengthy and energy-intensive process within the large facility, which required constant monitoring. The evaporated concentrate of radioactive substances was encapsulated in asphalt in drums, while the purified water was discharged into Roskilde Fjord.

The volume of activities generating active water is decreasing, and consequently, the old facility has served its purpose. Following an extended testing period, a smaller, mobile facility has now assumed the entire distillation task, and the old facility remains idle.

“The new evaporation plant is more efficient, uses less energy, and can operate autonomously,” explains operations engineer Anna Warberg Larsen, continuing: “Furthermore, it is mobile, so when the waste treatment plant is to be shut down and decommissioned, the plant can be relocated and integrated into a new setup.”