On the occasion of the 40th anniversary academic event week of the School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, senior nuclear energy expert and senior engineer Francisco Bernal Martínez from Spain gave a special lecture titled“Radioactive Waste Treatment and Related Facility Decommissioning Technologies at Spanish Nuclear Power Plants”on the afternoon of June 27. The lecture took place in Conference Room 1112 of the Zhizhen Building at the Institute of Nuclear Energy and Safety, and was hosted by Assistant Professor Chen Sijuan with simultaneous interpretation by Dr. Han Xiaomei. Many faculty members and students actively participated in the event.

The lecture began with Bernal Martínez providing a detailed introduction to Spain’s unique experience as a global benchmark in nuclear decommissioning. He emphasized that although Spain's total nuclear power installed capacity is not large (approximately 8 GW), due to its excellent engineering technology and efficient management, the country ranks among the world’s leaders in per capita nuclear power capacity (about 166 MW per million inhabitants), with nuclear power accounting for 20% of the national energy mix. Since the commissioning of its first nuclear power plant in 1964, Spain has actively introduced multiple technological routes, including Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR), Boiling Water Reactors (BWR), and Gas-cooled Reactors (GCR), integrating technologies from various international manufacturers. Through the operation of just 10 reactors, Spain has accumulated rich and valuable experience in technology adaptation and safety management, which has laid the foundation for its leadership in waste treatment and decommissioning.

Basedon this, Bernal Martínez shared Spain’spioneering achievements in global nuclear power plant lifecycle management and decommissioning practices. He provided detailed descriptions of several iconic cases: the successful completion of the world’s first Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) decommissioning at the José Cabrera (Zorita) Nuclear Power Plant, which was restored to a state suitable for reuse (also known as “greenfield” decommissioning). Furthermore, Spain has accumulated mature decommissioning experience with a variety of reactor types, including Gas-cooled Reactors (Vandellós 1), experimental reactors (JEN-1), and Boiling Water Reactors (Garoña). Spain has also established a comprehensive technical and management system that covers the entire chain from early-stage engineering preparation (such as for the Almaraz 1 unit) to final site restoration.

Bernal Martínez further outlined the broad prospects in the field of radioactive waste treatment and facility decommissioning. He pointed out that over 440 operational nuclear reactors worldwide are gradually entering the decommissioning phase, which will give rise to a massive market for radioactive waste treatment and related facilityorequipment decommissioning. As an emerging nuclear power, China’s potential demand for nuclear decommissioning in the future is enormous. Spain’s successful experience in radioactive waste safety management, efficient equipment disassembly technology, and strict soil restoration standards offers valuable lessons for China and presents important reference value and potential collaboration opportunities in the development of related fields.

After the lecture, faculty and students engaged in enthusiastic and in-depth discussions with Bernal Martínez on topics such as the technical details of nuclear power plant radioactive waste treatment and decommissioning, regulatory frameworks, cost control, and potential collaboration with China. This lecture, as an important part of the School’s 40th anniversary celebrations, not only introduced cutting-edge international knowledge on nuclear waste treatment and decommissioning technologies but also broadened international perspectives, effectively promoting academic exchanges and intellectual collisions in this field, injecting new vitality into the development of relevant disciplines.

The School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering will continue to gather cutting-edge wisdom through the“Famous Universities, Famous Teachers, Famous Enterprises”academic events, helping faculty and students explore the frontiers of scientific and technological development.