Decommissioning Using Lasers

Laser technology has been used in manufacturing and repair applications in numerous industries for decades, where its advantages such as flexibility and automation have proven useful. However, these same attributes make laser technologies relevant for decommissioning activities.

Laser cutting is the largest industrial application of high power lasers; ranging from profile cutting of thick-section sheet materials for large industrial applications, to medical stents.

Laser decommissioning activities are particularly relevant for the nuclear industry as a cost-effective solution for the dismantling and size reduction of contaminated metallic and non-metallic infrastructure, including concrete.

Laser technology has the potential to offer significant economic, technical, operational and societal benefits compared to competing decommissioning techniques, with some of the techniques also showing promise for decommissioning activities in other industry sectors.

Their light and compact process heads make lasers well-suited for remote deployment. In addition, there is no reaction force between the head and the structure and they generate limited fume.

Press Releases

Find out more about decommissioning using lasers at TWI:

Underwater Laser Cutting for Decommissioning Applications

An examination of the use of lasers for decommissioning offshore installations.

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Lasers for Decommissioning: The Story So Far

There are several potential uses of laser cutting in aspects of decommissioning, predominantly in the nuclear and offshore oil and gas sectors.

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Decommissioning Offshore Platforms

TWI carried out important testing work for one of Europe's first major research projects into the controlled demolition of disused offshore platforms.

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Core Research Programme (CRP) and Joint Industry Projects (JIP)

Core Research

Each year the TWI Core Research Programme (CRP) addresses challenges on behalf of our Industrial Members as well as developing specific technologies and processes. Each of the projects under the CRP is focussed on engineering, materials or manufacturing technologies, including diffusion bonding.

Joint Industry Projects

TWI also conducts Joint Industry Projects (JIPs) that bring together groups of Industrial Members to share the cost of research activities in areas of mutual industrial interest, gaining exclusive access to the outcomes. These projects cover a broad range of topics, including diffusion bonding.

Decommissioning Offshore Platforms

Laser Decommissioning at TWI

TWI has been at the forefront of using lasers for materials processing since the mid-1960s, and provides world-leading support to many industries, including the nuclear, automotive, medical, shipbuilding and aerospace sectors.

Our activities are supported by the state-of-the-art laboratories, which include the widest range of industrial laser systems and laser sources in the UK.

With decades of expertise, TWI is a leader in laser material processes - from metals to non-metals and everything in between.

This expertise and experience includes ongoing research and development activities in the application of laser technology for decommissioning applications, including laser cutting and laser concrete scabbling (spalling).

Our activities in this area include:

Hand-held laser cutting for size reduction and dismantling of structures, suitable for use in low hazard environments
Remote laser cutting, using snake-arm and 6-axis robots, for in-situ dismantling of structures
Robotic laser cutting for high productivity size-reduction of structures, akin to a production line process, to minimise waste volume
Underwater laser cutting of structures
Laser cleaning of material surfaces, including coatings and contamination removal

TWI also has expertise in laser scabbling of concrete, which, in comparison with competing techniques, does not generate significant secondary waste and does not require extensive control and deployment systems.

Typical industry support projects being performed in this area include:

Feasibility studies, procedure development and technology demonstrations
Generation of data for safety cases, including fume analysis
Design and supply of process heads for decommissioning applications
Training and knowledge transfer
Support with the adoption of laser technology for decommissioning
Remote in-situ dismantling of metallic structures using a laser cutting head mounted on a snake-arm manipulator, performed in a non-active environment.

For more information, please email contactus@twi.co.uk.

For more information please email:

contactus@twi.co.uk