Tractebel Energy Engineering upgrades Doel 1/2 NPP to allow direct transfer of spent fuel to storage building (April 2001)

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In early 2000 a project was launched consisting of adapting the installations of Doel 1/2 NPP to allow the receiving, handling and loading of a TN24SH-container and its direct transfer to the container storage building (SCG). The decision to go ahead was based on the results of a study performed by Tractebel Energy Engineering confirming the feasibility of the installations upgrade.

Previously, due to the limited existing capacity of the handling equipment in the fuel building of Doel 1/2 NPP, the spent fuel was first transported to Doel 4 in a low capacity container where it was then loaded in the high capacity TN24SHcontainer (37 spent fuel elements) before being transferred to the SCG-building.

Direct transfer from Doel 1/2 NPP to the SCG-building saves a lot of labour on site (transfers between units) and thus costs. It also avoids using part of the Doel 4 spent fuel storage capacity during transfer.

A deadline of end February 2001 was stipulated by Electrabel for the installations to be adapted and fully operational in order to allow the first loading of a TN24SH container at Doel 1/2 during March.

The project consisted of the upgrading of the capacity of the handling bridge in the fuel building (from 70 to 105 t), the reinforcement of the structures and the supply and installation of several handling and support tools. Due to the specificity of the works (work to a bridge near a pool containing fuel, removal of equipment from these pools and installation of new ones in them), meeting the deadline was a real challenge.

Nevertheless Tractebel Energy Engineering succeeded in finishing all the works safely and within the set time and budget. Tests were performed with an empty container during the first 2 weeks of March confirming the effectiveness of the new installations.

Today, the first TN24SH has been loaded with spent fuel and has been transferred to the SCG-building.

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