The part of the project managed by the French company is coming to an end. ” In less than four years, the Orano group finalized the cutting and packaging of the vessel and internal components of the boiling water reactor at the Vermont Yankee power plant (State of Vermont, northeastern United States). These operations, which started in early 2019 after two years of preparatory studies, are part of a contract signed in 2017 with the NorthStar group, a leader in the dismantling and deconstruction of industrial facilities in the world. As the owner of the site, NorthStar is in charge of the dismantling of the plant’s infrastructure, which is scheduled to be completed in 2027. “Reports the former Areva by press release.
« For the irradiating parts of the reactor core, the cutting was carried out remotely and under water for the internal equipment of the vessel and in air for the vessel itself, in order to guarantee the highest level of safety. Orano teams have used remote-controlled tools designed specifically for dismantling and which have proven their effectiveness in several projects, particularly in Germany. enthuses the text.
Orano’s know-how is recognized worldwide for projects of this type: ” Over the past 30 years, Orano’s 2,000 employees specializing in complex dismantling sites have taken part in more than 160 dismantling projects in different countries. In particular, they have carried out a quarter of the dismantling of so-called “pressurized water” or “boiling water” reactors in the world. In the United States, Orano is also working with NorthStar for the dismantling and management of spent fuel from the pressurized water reactor at the Crystal River 3 nuclear power plant in Florida, while in Germany the group is dismantling the core of six nuclear reactors. »
