Dutch construction, mining, and energy company Mammoet has completed a 400-tonne lift to remove a pressure vessel from a nuclear power plant.
Completing the lift in Germany, the company lifted the vessel out of the plant operator PreussenElektra’s reactor pool – the first of five pressurised water reactor plants to be decommissioned in lieu of Germany’s decision to phase out nuclear power.
Contracted by Hofer and Bechtel, Mammoet worked with both the contractor and operator of the plant during the planning phase to customise a unique solution using its SBL 1100, a moveable four-point hydraulic lifting gantry with a capacity of 1100-tonnes.
“The removal of the reactor pressure vessel was a very demanding project,” said Engineering Manager at Germany’s Mammoet branch Philipp Boettcher. “Through the intensive cooperation, all parties involved have grown together and become a team.”
Contributing to the demanding nature of the project was the fact that the tracks of the lifting gantry rested on the operating floor whilst also crossing over the reactor pool itself, meaning tight limits on load bearing capacity needed to be enforced. To counter this, Mammoet’s engineers calculated that load distribution ramps could be used to safely execute the plan at hand.
“We are delighted that we were able to contribute to a safe project with our custom lifting solution and pave the way for another decommissioning project within the power plant fleet,” said Boettcher.