DD is the only company doing decommissioning work in Denmark and is also the only company receiving radioactive waste from industry and hospitals in Denmark. 

Therefore, we naturally seek inspiration and exchange of knowledge with colleagues abroad and send our staff abroad to receive training when special skills are needed.

More than half a century has passed since Denmark commissioned it's first research reactor. The same applies for many other countries which started up research into the field of nuclear technology during the 1950s and 60s. This means a growing number of reactors are due to be decommissioned within af foreseeable future. In 2003 IAEA estimated that more than 100 reactors were either closed or under decommissioning.

When DD was established in 2003 we visited countries already experienced in decommissioning: Germany, Switzerland and the UK, which on their part had picked up experience from Sweden and USA. DD still consults an international panel of experts to validate methods and projects.

The closest international contact is with countries decommissioning reactors of the same type as our own DR 3 research reactor. The DIDO group is a network of engineers working with research reactors of the PLUTO or DIDO type. These types are present in Australia, England and Germany. The DIDO group meet annually to consult each other and exchange knowledge paticular to these reactors.

DD staff also participates in and contributes to international conferences and workshops in the field of health physics (radiation protection), waste management and decommissioning. In addition, some of the DD staff members participate in international expert committees, network groups and working groups on decommissioning, radiation protection and radioactive waste. 

IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency - is a UN organization which main objective is to promote a peaceful use of nuclear technology.

IAEA also publishes guidelines and set up international safety standards for the member states as well as promotes the exchange of knowledge between member states by arranging work shops, hosting networks and conferences. DD employees parttake in several of IAEA's work groups producing technical reports and guidelines, for instance, on radiation protection and decommissioning technique.

IAEA also asks member states to help others by matching need and knowledge. In this capacity DD has received guests from, for instance, Agentina, Brazil and Rumania. 

IAEA also inspects the member states' fissil material to make sure they uphold international agreements on the handling of nuclear material. The safeguards inspectors visits DD at least once a year sometimes more and with only a 24 hours notice.

The IAEA headquarter is in Vienna.

Euratom is an EU organization which objective is to promote the nuclear industry in the EU countries. Euratom also operates within the field of health physics and supply and transport of fissil material in the EU countries.

Euratom also safeguards in the member states and visits - like the IAEA - DD at least once every year to make sure DD upholds international agreements on how to store and transport fissilt material.
 

The International Commission on Radiological Protection, ICRP, is an independent Registered Charity, established to advance for the public benefit the science of radiological protection, in particular by providing recommendations and guidance on all aspects of protection against ionising radiation.The recommendations provided form the foundation of national legislation on the area, e.g. via EU directive.

ICRP was formed at a radiology congress in Stockholm the 27th of July 1928. The Commission found its present organizational form in 1950 and has from the very beginning worked towards becoming the independent and internationally respected organization on radiological protection it is today.

The commission consists of a chairman and twelve other members. The members are appointed on the basis of their recognized work within the areas of radiology, physics, health physics, biology, biochemistry and biophysics. The composition of the commission is balanced rather in regard to disciplines than in nationalities.

The commission appoints the committees and form task groups to prepare its recommendations. Through many years the commission has had four permanent committees, and in 2005, a fifth committee was established.

The committees covers the following work areas:

1. Radiation effects
2. Doses from radiation exposure
3. Protection in medicine
4. Application of ICRP recommendations
5. Protection on the environment

 The committees each consists of app. twenty members.

The DIDO group is an international network of engineers working with research reactors of the DIDO or PLUTO type. The group was established back in the 1960s and exchanged experiences of the operation of these particular reactors.

Although all DIDO and PLUTO reactors are shut down, the DIDO group still meet annually to discuss the challenges of decommissioning the reactors.

There are six research reactors of the DIDO and PLUTO type in the world, all of them similar to the British prototypes in Harwell. The other two PLUTO reactors are in Dounreay, Scotland and in Denmark, namely our DR 3. The German reactor in Jülich, FRJ-2, and the Australian reactor, HIFAR, in Lucas Heights, Sydney, are both DIDO research reactors.

The DIDO and the PLUTO reactors are almost identical except the number of fuel elements and control rods vary and the size and position of the beam tubes differ. Also, PLUTO reactors are four-sided whereas DIDOs are octagonal.

All reactors were buildt between 1956-62 and are on the point of being  decommissioned. Germany should have started decommissioning in 2009 but are still awaiting the license. Denmark follows in 2012, Australia in 2017. The UK waits until 2027.