EDF, PWR 900MW fleet Project, France

Hot shielded cell for waste conditioning and packing

Background

EDF’s PWR 900MW fleet dismantling operations will generate waste resulting from underwater RPV or internals segmentation. The aim of this project is to design a hot cell capable of packaging these nuclear waste into dedicated packaging units.

Challenge

The cell must be adaptable and reusable by design since it is intended for several PWR takedowns. Extensive consideration of feedback within EDF must ensure hazard-free use, maintenance, and installation, as well as cost and time effectiveness.

Our proposal

The cell forms a large armoured and ventilated precinct that accounts for high radioprotection levels, non release of contamination requirements, and compliance with French transport and nuclear waste storage regulations.

Cyclife Engineering has been tasked to perform the detailed design of the cell including input data gathering, functional analysis, pre-sizing calculations. The depth of developed studies will allow the technical specification drafting prior to supplier’s call for tender.

Customer benefits

  • Robust and easy to maintain by design (design fed by operating experience)
  • Capability to dry and package 450 tons of LLW – ILW into dedicated units with very low personnel exposure

Results

Targeted production rate :

  • Over 160 packaged units of internals in less than 200 working days
  • Over 100 packaged units of vessel parts in less than 100 working days