Work to remove the equipment positioned above the vessel, the steel container in which the nuclear reaction took place, began yesterday at the nuclear power plant. Garigliano. The intervention, which will end in the first quarter of 2024, was announced by Sogin, the public company for the dismantling of nuclear plants.
The activity, carried out by Sogin and its subsidiary Nucleco, is divided into four main phases.
First phase: flooding of the internal part of the vessel.
Second phase: opening of the upper part of the vessel (called “head”) and release of water that will fill the reactor channel, until the vessel is completely submerged.
Third phase: removal of the equipment located on the “head” of the vessel, remotely and under water.
Fourth phase: insertion of the removed equipment, for a total weight of 1 ton, into special cylindrical containers, which will be stored in the temporary depots on the site, awaiting their transfer to the National Repository, once available.
Sogin will then begin dismantling the vessel and the reactor building's systems and components, called internals. This activity will mark the final phase, the most complex from an engineering and operational point of view, of the decommissioning of the Campania plant.
The dismantling of the Garigliano plant will produce a total of approximately 268 thousand tons of materials. Of these, 96% will be sent for recovery, mostly composed of metals and concrete.
A complex and delicate operation
Removing equipment from above the vessel is a complex and delicate operation, requiring the use of advanced safety technologies and procedures. Flooding the inside of the vessel is necessary to shield radiation and allow technicians to proceed safely. Furthermore, equipment removal must be done remotely to avoid exposure to contamination risks.
Sogin began the dismantling of the Garigliano plant in 2018. The operation, which will be completed in 2034, is foreseen by the National Plan for the Dismantling of Nuclear Plants (PNIS)
@All rights reserved
EDITORIAL TEAM
Choose the social channel you want to subscribe to