
July 1st Watch the reactor plug pry out
In May 2014, Danish Decommissioning carried out a major operation to lift a highly radioactive metal plug from Denmark's largest research reactor.
M The metal plug was lifted directly into a guard, which was closed at the top and bottom. Finally, the prop and guard were lowered down to basement level of the reactor hall.
The challenge now was to move a total of 40 tons of metal plug and shielding out of the hall. There is limited space and the large, heavy cylinder had to be driven past carrier pellets and around sharp corners. To this end, the Dutch lifting company Mammoet had brought a transport truck called Self-Propelled Modular Transportation (SPMT).
The SPMT has 16 wheels and eight axles, all of which can rotate independently. It is diesel-powered, so it was necessary to attach long hoses to the vehicle so that the exhaust could be sent out of the building.
The reactor plug with shielding was lowered directly onto the load by the SPMT, and The Danish Decommissioning Technicians unscrewed the lifting brackets. The red-clad Mammoet men steered the wagon back and forth, and after a fairly-many-point turn, managed to pry the cart out of the reactor hall.
The entire operation was overseen by Danish Dekommissionering health physicists who work with radiation protection.