Mülheim-Kärlich and Biblis nuclear power plants in the West of Germany are currently under dismantling phase
Image: The Mülheim-Kärlich nuclear power plant in Germany. Photo: courtesy of Holger Weinandt/Wikipedia.
Orano and its partner Entsorgungswerk für Nuklearanlagen (EWN) have received two contracts from German utility RWE to provide dismantling services for the Mülheim-Kärlich and Biblis nuclear power plants (NPPs), located in the West of Germany.
Located 13km northeast of the town of Worms on the State of Hesse’s side of the Rhine, the 2,394MW Biblis power plant comprises two pressurised-water reactors. The power plant ended its operations in 2011.
Located in Rhineland-Palatinate, north of the town of Koblenz, the Mülheim-Kärlich power plant been in the process of dismantling since the summer of 2004.
Under the contracts, the two firms will be responsible for the segmentation and packaging of the heart of the Mülheim-Kärlich nuclear plant, the reactor pressure vessel (RPV), as well as critical equipment such as the RPV-head and the RPV-internals.
The contract scope for the Biblis site covers the RPV-internals of unit A and B.
Orano said in a statement: “The maturity of the proposals in terms of safety, economic efficiency and project management model presented by Orano and EWN, convinced RWE to award the two partners an overall site contract for Mülheim-Kärlich and in addition a contract for two lots for the twin units at the Biblis NPP.”
Work at the two power plants to be carried out between 2020 and 2023
The companies will undertake operations at the Mülheim-Kärlich site from 2020 to 2022 and on the Biblis twin units from 2021 to 2023.
Orano dismantling and services activities senior executive vice-president Alain Vandercruyssen said: “This new success further reinforces Orano’s global leadership position in the dismantling of the components of reactors.
“Together with our long-term partner EWN, we hold a mature, safe and economic solution based on the proven skills of our teams working in the field.
“Thanks to our unique experience, Orano is a leading player in providing worldwide support to utilities for their dismantling and decommissioning operations.”
Orano’s German subsidiary Orano will be responsible for the segmentation of the internals on both sites while EWN will cut and pack the Mülheim-Kärlich RPV.