Orano recently achieved a major milestone by completing the transportation and disposal of the dismantled Crystal River Unit 3 nuclear reactor using just four large packages. In less than two years, Orano’s team segmented, packaged, and removed the 35-foot reactor vessel and its internal components. Including the removal of cooling system components and off-site disposal of low-level waste, the project was completed in under four years—all without a single lost-time accident.
“The successful transportation of these four packages demonstrates Orano’s ability to safely and effectively plan and execute the Optimized Segmentation of a nuclear reactor in record time,” said Jean-Luc Palayer, CEO of Orano USA. He added that this approach could be applied to other complex decommissioning projects.
Orano used its patented Optimized Segmentation process to dismantle the reactor, strategically repacking the internal components inside the reactor vessel. The vessel was then filled with engineered grout and cut into three sections, along with the reactor head, for transport in just four packages—significantly fewer than the typical 80 packages required for such operations.
Key to the project’s success was the expertise of Edwards Moving & Rigging, who managed the Over-The-Road transport of the massive packages across Texas. The middle section, weighing 357 tons, was transported in a 303-foot-long conveyance suspended between two 16-axle trailers to evenly distribute the weight. The team worked closely with local authorities to navigate a 980-mile route at an average speed of 8 miles per hour, making adjustments such as removing light posts and signage to clear the way.
In addition to the four reactor packages, Orano also completed 10 rail shipments of the reactor’s coolant system, further demonstrating their efficiency in handling large-scale decommissioning projects.
This first-of-its-kind success highlights Orano’s ability to reduce project timelines, optimize waste disposal, and transport massive reactor components safely. The collaboration with Edwards Moving & Rigging was instrumental in achieving this milestone, setting a new standard for future decommissioning efforts.
