The final stage of the project involved the cutting and conditioning of the reactor vessel and primary circuit components, utilizing a patented segmentation process to minimize waste and transportation requirements. The irradiating parts of the reactor core, including the internal equipment, were precisely cut underwater and remotely controlled, ensuring the highest levels of safety throughout the operation.
The reactor pressure vessel (RPV), standing at approximately 10 meters in height and weighing several hundred tonnes, represents the largest metal component in a pressurized water reactor. Within the RPV, the chain reaction occurs, generating a substantial amount of heat used to produce low-carbon electricity for the grid.
What sets this decommissioning project apart is its innovative financial and industrial framework. It involved the transfer of ownership of the spent fuel and the operating license from North American utility Duke Energy to Accelerated Decommissioning Partners (ADP), a joint venture jointly owned by NorthStar and Orano.
Jean-Christophe Patout, Senior Executive Vice President in charge of Orano Group's Dismantling and Services activities, commented on this achievement, saying, "The completion of this project in such a short timeframe and employing an innovative process bears testimony to Orano's proficiency in carrying out cleanup and dismantling projects in the United States. Our added value is underpinned by the proven know-how of our teams in the field, as well as by Orano's dismantling expertise acquired in a number of countries, notably in France and Germany."
Related Links
Orano Group
Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Science, Nuclear Technology
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
