06 Jul Old tanks in small sections

In a narrow and labyrinthine basement beneath the Hot Cells, a continuous and rapid hammering sound can be heard these days. A couple of DD's employees are currently cutting up two old tanks.

TThe employees use a machine – a nibbler – which 'chews' small, horseshoe-shaped pieces from the metal. This process generates less dust than sawing through the tanks, and it also eliminates the need for water cooling.

The two tanks were part of Risø's underground piping system, where so-called active water from, among other sources, decontamination cabins and certain sinks was collected. The volume of activities generating active water is decreasing, leading to the gradual shutdown of the piping system. Over time, radioactive substances from the wastewater have left their traces, making it crucial to prevent the spread of radioactivity through dust and water when pipes and tanks are cut and removed.

The confined basement offers limited maneuvering space, so tank fragments are hoisted from the depths into a container and subsequently processed appropriately. Once every fragment of these two tanks has been removed, the team can proceed beneath the DR 3 reactor, where two additional redundant tanks await.