Sogin, the first phase of dismantling the vessel in the Garigliano nuclear power plant has been completed

The program of activities will continue with the removal of the components located inside the vessel

ROME – In the Garigliano nuclear power plant (Caserta) Sogin has finished removing the metal components contaminated people positioned on the deflector, the upper part of the vessel, the steel container in which the nuclear reaction took place during the exercise.These works conclude the first phase of the dismantling of the vessel of the Campania power plant, the most complex activity from an engineering and operational point of view for the decommissioning of a nuclear plant.The operations, carried out together with the subsidiary Nucleco, had begun at the end of last year with the flooding of the vessel and the reactor channel, a necessary step to guarantee maximum safety during work as water is a natural element that shields radiation.

In a first phase the components were removed and cut, reducing their volume, under the head of water with the use of a pneumatic clamp and special mechanical equipment, operated remotely with the support of high resolution underwater cameras.Subsequently, the components thus treated, for a total weight of approximately one ton, were placed in two special high integrity containers for temporary storage in one of the site's depots, awaiting future transfer to the National Repository.The program of activities will continue with the removal of the components located inside the vessel, called internals, for which the executive design has already begun, and the dismantling of the vessel itself.