OREANDA-NEWS. January 27, 2011.  Petrozavodskmash CJSC (included into Atomenergomash ОJSC Company Group) developed and produced protective containers for highly active solid waste for Kola NPP. Five containers were produced for the station.

Three of them are intended for cassette screen storage, two of them – for absorbers.

The produced containers may be called unique ones. Their life time is 50 years, the dimensions are 2 meters in diameter and more than 3 meters high; the wall thickness is 280 and 320 mm. The containers are made of innovative material — highly firm cast iron with spherical graphite. Earlier in Russia protective containers were usually made of concrete or stainless steel, which often led to multiple appreciation of the products.

Prior to commissioning of the containers they underwent certain acceptance tests. Within a year the containers were gradually filled with outgoing elements of the active zone and were moved into a special compartment of the storage. In their turn, the places in nuclear waste repositories and cеntral hall cooling ponds became free. At the end of December, the last 5th protective container was filled. At this time absorbers were loaded into it. Now all of them are safely kept in isolated rooms of a special storage belonging to the nuclear plant.

Thus, Kola NPP managed to find an effective way of solving the problem of a safe and long-time storage of the active zone wastes and tо provide availability of vacant space in the repository. This will allow continuation of safe operation of the plant power units, according to the society and the government requirements.