The Big Rock Point boiling water reactor at Charlevoix,MI was shut down for the last time in 1997.In 1999,BNFL Inc.’s Decommissioning Operations Group was awarded the contract by Consumers Energy for the Big Rock Point major component removal project.BNFL Inc.teamed with MOTA,Sargent& Lundy,to plan and execute the decommissioning project. Details are provided for the methodology of addressing the engineering,regulatory,logistic and technical challenges associated with developing a removal method for the reactor vessel and subsequent placement of a low density cellular concrete(LDCC)within the reactor vessel and the annulus between the vessel and its shipping container.LDCC has been demonstrated to possess excellent structural properties and flow characteristics for placement in remote situations.It is to be noted that this reactor vessel transportation is the first and only fully compliant 10 CFR Part 71 shipment in US history. The reactor vessel was required to be placed within a licensed shipping container.Once in the container any voids in the reactor vessel and the container were filled with LDCC.The container lid was then welded shut onto the container,sealing the package prior to shipment.The sealed container was then removed from the containment sphere and loaded onto a transporter for truck and rail shipment to Barnwell for ultimate disposal.
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