Federal Services for clean-up and closure

De-Inventory Plans

Orano has experience and expertise preparing De-Inventory Plans as an industry advisor to the Department of Energy for stranded used nuclear fuel at shutdown commercial nuclear sites. These plans provide the Department of Energy with information that it can use for planning options with decision-makers on the design of an integrated nuclear waste management disposition system that will someday see stranded used nuclear fuel moved to either consolidated interim storage or to a permanent repository.

Extended Storage Licensing

Orano has recent experience with extended storage licensing as part of a team that re-licensed the Three Mile Island-2 (TMI-2) Independent Used Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) in Pennsylvania. Orano prepared the Environmental Report Submittal to support the re-licensing application and provided the completed relicense application. In our teaming agreement with DOE Idaho and Spectra Tech, Inc., our Federal Way Office prepared a complete NRC License Application in accordance with NUREG 1927, Rev 1 for the unique NUHOMS^® design for a vented system utilizing carbon steel containers made for this first-of-a-kind design application. The tasks for completing the license extension application was completed ahead of schedule and resulted in a very limited number of Requests for Additional Information (RAIs) from the U.S. NRC, indicating the exceptional quality of the application.

Packaging Design Analyses and Testing

Orano develops and designs systems that meet the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission requirements for transportation packages. We perform engineering analyses or physical testing on these designs, including structural, thermal, shielding, and criticality analyses for normal and hypothetical conditions. We blend proven analytic methodologies with modeling techniques using integrated specialized engineering disciplines, such as engineering structures, dynamics, mechanics, heat transfer, containment, shielding and criticality, to provide realistic solutions.

Brochure: Orano Federal Services licensed packaging

Research Reactor Packaging

Orano designs, fabricates and licenses packages on a daily basis. For example, Orano has designed and delivered the NRC-licensed Battelle Research Reactor (BRR) package, a cask capable of transporting used research reactor fuel (Type B) under U.S. Department of Transportation regulations for the Battelle Energy Alliance. Orano increased the versatility of existing package design by maximizing shielding within the weight limits, customizing internal baskets for the payloads, and simplifying the impact limiters.

Orano also performs project planning, site characterization, regulatory compliance, dismantlement and segmentation, removal of the reactor pressure vessel and internals, waste packaging and disposal and final status (MARSSIM) surveys. Orano has experience preparing decommissioning plans, environmental reports and license termination plans to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Historical Site Assessment

Orano performed the Historical Site Assessment (HSA) at the SONGS nuclear facility as the fundamental first step in the decommissioning planning stage. This collected historical information provides the basis for informed decisions regarding the current radiological and hazardous status of systems, structures, and environmental areas.

Omega West Reactor Decommissioning

Orano was a major partner on the Omega West Reactor decommissioning project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Orano developed all of the project plans and procedures such as the Project Execution Plan, Work Breakdown Structure, Health & Safety Plan, Radiation Protection Plan, Mobilization and Demobilization Plans, Characterization planning, and Hazardous Material Abatement planning. Orano also managed and controlled all aspects of cost and schedule performance, license and permitting, facility documentation, and compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations in the packaging, classification and disposal of the waste. This project was completed within 18 months – two months ahead of schedule – and recorded 75,000 hours without a lost time accident.

CP-5 Reactor Decommissioning

Orano completed decommissioning and dismantling activities on the CP-5 reactor at the Argonne National Laboratory, which involved removing the remaining equipment from the CP-5 Large Scale Demonstration Project and culminated in unrestricted release of the facility. The scope of work included radiological characterization; demolition of the bio-shed and supporting structures, including pumps, ventilation systems, tanks, valves, filters, polar cranes, and bridge cranes; hot cell demolition; asbestos removal; and decontamination throughout the facility. Orano handled and packaged hazardous, mixed, and low-level waste, including materials with dose rates exceeding 250 R/hr. Orano also performed large-cask loading, handling, and decontamination. Orano personnel worked over 60,000 hours on this project without a lost time or recordable incident. The project was completed within the contractual completion date.

Waste Characterization Programs

Orano develops and implements waste characterization programs as part of waste treatment plans at numerous clean-up projects. Orano has expertise in the development of waste management plans and procedures to ensure compliance with applicable requirements, including the Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) at the disposal site.

Product Flier: Mobile Hot Cell

Liquid and Sludge Retrieval

Orano’s experience with liquid and sludge retrieval includes the deactivation and dismantling of complex process equipment and structures, such as tanks, dissolvers, evaporators, filters, and associated piping. Orano also develops, qualifies, and operates radioactive liquid and sludge waste remote or contact-handled retrieval systems selected and adapted to the waste’s radioactivity level and tank access conditions. For example, Orano was selected for the Hanford K-Basin Sludge Treatment Project based on its expertise treating radioactive sludge, one of the major challenges of the Hanford site clean-up. The project to retrieve, process and package radioactive sludge from used nuclear fuel corrosion required Orano to design, procure, construct, test and commission integrated systems, including a full-scale testing facility to qualify the sludge retrieval and treatment processes.

Product Fliers

• Mobile Evaporator
• Waste Retrieval using Auger Technology

Nationwide Deactivation, Decommissioning and Removal Contract (DD&R)

• Arcadis U.S.
• Banda Group International
• FE&C
• NorthStar
• Parsons
• Veolia Nuclear Solutions - Federal Services
• Waste Control Specialists

Tank Operations Contract (TOC) – AY-102

Orano personnel were key to the successful AY-102 Recovery Project at Hanford. The project called for removing 750,000 gallons of nuclear waste from a faulty 40-year-old underground double shelled storage tank and transferring it to different tanks in the tanks farm for secure storage – protecting the nearby Columbia River.

• Planning & Infrastructure Upgrades - Preparing for AY-102 retrieval required detailed planning and more than two years of infrastructure upgrade work on both AY-102 and receipt of tank AP-102.
• Transferring Liquid Waste - The first phase of retrieval operations involved transferring liquid waste (supernate) to a double-shell tank and then using two standard sluicing cannons to remove and transfer sludge material to tank AP-102. The final retrieval phase required four extended-reach sluicers.

Savannah River Remediation (SRR)

As a member of Savannah River Remediation, LLC (SRR), Orano is a named a subcontractor to the DOE for the operations of the Liquid Waste facilities at the Savannah River Site (SRS), in Aiken, South Carolina. The team’s scope of work includes the management and disposition of over 36 million gallons of radioactive liquid waste from over 50 years of site operations.

• Melter Technology - Orano provides engineering expertise in melter technology (vitrification), and vitrification plant operating experience to support tank closures and maximize DWPF throughput.
• Powder Injection Laser Welding Repairs - Orano recently completed Powder Injection Laser Welding repairs to the leak in the 3H evaporator at the Savannah River Site, including robotic delivery of components and robotic performance of the weld.
• Enhanced Chemical Cleaning - Orano developed, tested, verified, and qualified a tank heel-removal process called Enhanced Chemical Cleaning (ECC) for treating high-level waste residues remaining after bulk waste removal from than tanks.