AREVA Inc. issued the following announcement on June 8.
Orano TN, the Orano subsidiary providing used fuel management and transport services, expanded its reactor pool cleanout products and services portfolio through a recent specialized equipment purchase and teaming agreement with Babcock Services Inc. (BSI).
The specialty equipment for reactor component volume reduction and processing enhances Orano’s used fuel pool cleanout services, and includes a compactor/shear for control rod blades and fuel channels, a velocity limiter shear, a satellite roller ball punch, and a mobile rod cutter. This equipment combined with Orano’s industry workhorse TN RAM Type B transport cask provides customers with a turnkey solution for effective reactor pool services to remove used fuel and obsolete radioactive components into secure onsite dry storage.
In addition, Orano and BSI signed a teaming agreement to continue using BSI’s experienced operations staff and innovative engineering support for executing these projects.
The Orano and BSI team recently completed a used fuel pool cleanout project at a shutdown pressurized water reactor (PWR) in coordinated operations, including the packaging and shipment of irradiated components and used fuel racks. A key innovative success was the use of a unique thimble plug spring removal tool that significantly reduced the remaining amount of Greater than Class C (GTCC) waste in storage.
“Forming a closer relationship with BSI creates a multiplier effect in what we can provide our customers,” said Greg Vesey, senior vice president of Orano TN. “Combining resources and proven expertise provides both certainty and innovation in a field defined by rigorous procedures and timelines.”
The new equipment is intended to expand Orano’s services in the commercial and federal markets, including the U.S. Department of Energy, and international regions.
Original source can be found here.
