GNB has received a contract from Società Gestione Impianti Nucleari, a subsidiary of Italian utility ENEL, for the supply of 30 specially modified Castor casks with a total value of over 25 million Euros. The casks will be used for the interim storage of spent fuel elements at Trino (PWR) and Garigliano (BWR), in canisters, which are partly stored on site and partly at the Avogadro ISFP and Caorso BWR.
SOGIN specified a maximum weight per cask of 60t for Trino and Avogadro and 85t for Caorso. In order to meet this GNB had to modify the Castor casks, which weigh about 120t, to produce a lightweight version that still complied with safety requirements. The casks for the Caorso spent fuel elements have an empty weight of 64t. The casks for the fuel elements of the other plants weigh 49t unloaded.
The scope of the contract includes the auxiliary equipment necessary for the loading and monitoring of the casks. The deliveries will start in 2002 and end in 2006.
