Rancho Seco moves steam generator

摘要

The first of two steam generators was shipped to Utah by rail using a dedicated locomotive and heavy-duty rail cars. The first half of a two-year proj-ect to package and transport two large steam generators from the shutdown Rancho Seco nuclear power plant was completed in December. The plant, about 25 miles southeast of Sacramento, Calif., was a 913-MWe pressurized water reactor. It operated from April 1975 to June 1989 and is being decommissioned by its owner, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD). MHF Logistical Solutions Inc. (MHF-LS) has the job of preparing and shipping the two steam generators by rail to a final disposal site in Utah, using a dedicated locomotive and heavy-duty rail cars that bypass normal freight networks. "Rail is becoming an increasingly attractive option for decommissioning projects," said Michael Snyder, radioactive waste superintendent for the Rancho Seco decommissioning project. "It is economical and offers enhanced safety."