UK-based Nuvia said its subsidiary, Nuvia Nordic, had been selected by Vattenfall to contribute to dismantling unit 2 of the Ringhals NPP in Sweden, where it has been involved in most of the nuclear dismantling projects in the country.
The decision to close Ringhals 2 five years early was taken in 2015. Vattenfall had planned to operate Ringhals 1&2 until about 2025, but in 2015 said no further investment would be made in the units after 2017, making required safety upgrades impossible. Ringhals 2, a pressurised water reactor, was closed in December 2019 followed by Ringhals 1, a boiling water reactor, in December 2020. According to Vattenfall’s decommissioning roadmap, decommissioning and dismantling (D&D) of special items, including the reactor pressure vessels and steam generators is expected to run from April 2023 until 2027. This will run in parallel to ‘bulk’ D&D of the other radiological items. Conventional demolition is planned for the early 2030s.
Nuvia said the work relates to Lot 5 - Special Items. This involves the dismantling of the primary loop, including the removal and relocation of the three steam generators and pressuriser, as well as the disconnection, segmentation and packing of reactor cooling pumps, associated piping and secondary and auxiliary systems. Nuvia will manage the design, equipment supply, and on-site operations supported by its sister company, Hebetec, which will handle the heavy lifting operations and provide the necessary equipment.
Image: The Ringhals plant (courtesy of Vattenfall)
