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Nuclear scrap melting
The main problem of nuclear energy is the nuclear waste produced by this activity.
Each year, nuclear power generation facilities worldwide produce about 200,000 m3 of low and intermediate-level radioactive waste.
For more information about nuclear waste visit the WNA website.
Different waste streams will be created during decommissioning of nuclear power plants. One of them is the metallic scrap. Typical amounts are between 20000 and 30000 Mg for a 1000 MW NPP. About 25 % of scrap can be reused in the nuclear industry. An extended recycling can be achieved by a better measurement of a homogenous metal block and by decontamination effects during melting.
Waste Management of nuclear waste for geological time periods is one of the key issues in the nuclear business for a reliable and sustainable development of nuclear energy production.
ALD France provides innovative solution for the treatment of LLW.
Nuclear power plant around the world
ALD France decommissioning furnaces
ALD France design and manufacture scrap melting vacuum furnaces to treat the metallic scrap (Low Level Waste) from the NPPs.
Vacuum technology used at high-temperature processes improves the safety of installations. Confinement is well controlled and guaranties a safe enclosure even in case of an accidental leakage. Furthermore the vacuum technology reduce the off gas amounts to less than 1m3/h.
In comparison with air or atmosphere controlled operated furnaces, a vacuum or partial pressure process is:
- Safer
- Environment friendly
- More efficient and flexible
ALD France proposes two types of decommissioning furnaces.
Stationary unit of nuclear scrap melting:
| VIDP 400 | VIDP 1000 | VIDP 2000 | VIDP 3000 | |
| Crucible size (tons) | 1-3 | 4-8 | 9-18 | 19-30 |
| Operating pressure (mbar) | 10-1-10-2 | |||
| Output melting power supply (kW) | 600-1,500 | 1,500-2,500 | 2,500-3,500 | 3,500-5000 |
| Connected power vacuum pump set and auxiliary equipment (kVA) | 150 | 250 | 300 | 350 |
Cooling water consumption (Δt=10 °C) (m3.h-1) | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 |
Mobile unit of nuclear scrap melting:
Reduce the time and cost induced by the transport of contaminated metal from nuclear plant to waste transformation plant.
For more information about the mobile unit of nuclear scrap melting, look into our brochure:
