Cranberry Township, PA, December 17, 2020 – Westinghouse Electric Company has signed a
contract with Swedish utility Vattenfall to segment the nuclear reactor at its Ågesta
Nuclear Plant near Stockholm, Sweden. Under the terms of the contract, Westinghouse
will plan, design and manufacture the tools for segmentation; as well as
perform the site work. This includes the underwater mechanical cutting of the
reactor vessel and its internal components and packing the pieces in containers
for Vattenfall to remove from site.
“At Westinghouse, safety in
all aspects of the nuclear power lifecycle is paramount - including the safe and
cost-effective decommissioning of plants and reactors,” said David Durham,
Westinghouse president, Plant Solutions Business Unit. “We are pleased to
continue our successful partnership with Vattenfall to ensure the safety of
plant staff and the surrounding community during the decommissioning of the
plant.”
The Ågesta Nuclear Plant was
the first commercial nuclear plant in Sweden. It opened in 1964 and was in
operation for 10 years before ceasing operation in 1974. Since the shutdown, limited
service has been carried out to maintain the necessary basic functions. The
nuclear fuel and the heavy water were removed from the plant directly after the
shut-down.
Westinghouse has extensive experience in
decommissioning pressurized water reactors (PWRs), boiling water reactors
(BWRs), gas-cooled reactors (GCRs), sodium-cooled reactors, research reactors
and fuel fabrication plants. For more information on the company’s
comprehensive, integrated services and state-of-the-art solutions for dismantling
services, spent fuel and the treatment and handling of radioactive waste,
please visit www.westinghousenuclear.com/d-d