Westinghouse agrees to aid dismantling of nuclear power plant in Sweden

The Barsebäck Nuclear Power Station.
The Barsebäck Nuclear Power Station. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Westinghouse Electric Company announced on Monday that they have reached an agreement with Barsebäck Kraft AB in order to help dismantle the Barsebäck Nuclear Power plant hat has been defunct since 2005.

The announcement states that work will begin as soon as possible and that it is expected to be completed in four years. The Barsebäck facility had two operational reactors, the first concluded operations on Nov. 30, 1999 and the second closed approximately six years later on May 31, 2005.

In order to segment and package the pressure vessel components closest to the reactor’s core, Westinghouse staff will be utilizing remote controlled machines that will perform cutting and separation and other forms of equipment to transport them outside of the area. Following these components’ removal, radioactivity in the area will decrease.

“Westinghouse continues to invest, optimize and develop our tooling, processes and people using our global technology and experience to serve customers around the world,” Westinghouse Europe, Middle East and Africa Region President Yves Brachet said. “We are gratified that our commitments are recognized by our customers through these awards.”

Westinghouse offers global decontamination and decommissioning services alongside waste management in the nuclear energy market. Recently the company has taken on similar projects in France and Spain.