Treatment of
radioactive waste
The strictest technology and safety requirements apply to nuclear waste disposal and waste treatment facilities. With our decades of experience in the nuclear industry and our wide range of references, we are a leading supplier in the development and manufacture of plants and equipment for the treatment of radioactive waste.
We develop, plan, supply and install plants and equipment for the pre-treatment, sorting and conditioning of radioactive waste as well as for cleaning and decontamination. We focus on solving the specific problems our customers face and develop customized offers for them. With the technologies we utilize, it is possible not only to condition nuclear waste safely and efficiently, but also to significantly reduce the volume of waste – thus saving space and costs for transport and storage.
What sets us apart
- Decades of experience in the treatment and disposal of nuclear residual and waste materials
- A large number of references in the construction of nuclear waste treatment plants throughout the world
- Extensive technological expertise in all process steps involved in the preparation, sorting and conditioning of nuclear waste
- Broad spectrum of products and services for all aspects related to the processing of radioactive substances
- Development and manufacture of special machines
- Longstanding reputation as a nuclear technology specialist
- Development and delivery of inspection and sampling equipment for the assessment of the radioactive inventory of nuclear facilities
- Sorting of radioactive waste manually with glove boxes or using parallel manipulators
- Use of swivel units for contamination-free feeding of the waste into the sorting plant
- Crushing waste using a shredder to increase the volume packed in the drums
- Delivery of oval pipe cutters, internal pipe cutters and internal pipe cut-off grinders for pipes with a wide range of dimensions and wall thicknesses
- Dismantling of activated and contaminated steel structures and subsequent cutting with the aid of band, circular and wire saws, including the necessary holding and clamping devices and adaptation to the necessary handling equipment
- Supply of cement grouting units for the conditioning of filter resins, sludges and wastes from sorting, such as crushed cans and steel scraps
- Installation of silos for the cement mixture components
- Provision of worm conveyors, mixers, filling devices as well as downstream equipment for capping and radiological measurement
- Supply of on-demand high-pressure compactors for volume reduction of activated and contaminated waste such as core fittings, structural elements of fuel rods as well as low to mid-level radioactive waste
- Supply of airlock systems for the transfer in and out of radioactive materials and contaminated items for a wide range of waste container sizes
- Provision of accessories including waste containers, lids, clamping systems and handling equipment
- Development and supply of specialized systems for uncapping and capping drums and other containers that hold contaminated and radioactive waste
- Design and delivery of lid magazines and other peripheral equipment including conveyor belts and container transport equipment
Development, design and manufacture of remote-controlled manipulators or manipulator carrier systems for a wide range of waste conditioning plants
- Construction of caissons for post-dismantling and decontamination works in the course of partitioning and separating air flows
- Design of the necessary interior equipment including windows, manipulators, lifting equipment and decontamination equipment
We understand modular residue and waste treatment plants as an integral part of the dismantling and disposal concept in nuclear technology, and for this we offer needs-based solutions for the efficient operation of waste treatment and significant volume reduction of radioactive waste."
Holger StarkeHead of Nuclear Waste Management at Bilfinger NoellWith our decades of experience and a wide range of customer-specific references, we are one of the leading suppliers in the development and manufacture of complete plants, systems and machines for the treatment of radioactive waste in the nuclear industry."
Wolfgang MützelHead of Systems/Plant Division, Nuclear Engineering at Bilfinger NoellWe offer comprehensive waste treatment solutions from a single source. Through decades of experience, we develop customized solution concepts and ensure the safe and efficient conditioning of nuclear waste."
Karsten OsterlandHead of Nuclear Project Management at Bilfinger NoellOur comprehensive expertise and competence when it comes to the construction of nuclear power plants and waste treatment facilities enable us to develop individual solutions tailored to specific requirements. We always work closely and professionally with our customers on an equal footing."
Stefan AckermannHead of the Nuclear Technology Plants and Components Division at Bilfinger Noell- Treatment of process water produced during underwater cutting
- Supply of mobile water treatment systems
- Use of mechanical or chemical processes for the decontamination of components
- Wet chemical decontamination using the PHADEC® process (PHosphoric Acid DEContamination), which produces low levels of primary waste
Highest-level of technology competence
We are constantly putting our comprehensive engineering expertise to the test: many of the innovative processes and methods we have developed have become firmly established in the nuclear sector and now serve as standards for waste treatment and conditioning. We reduce waste volumes using highly effective sorting, cleaning and compression processes and make the treatment, transport, storage and final disposal of radioactive waste even safer.
Entsorgungswerk für Nuklearanlagen GmbH, Germany
Conditioning plant for Konrad containers
Services: The contract awarded to Bilfinger includes the construction of the complete grouting plant, including the necessary safety equipment, to ensure that the KC is backfilled in accordance with quality standards. Solid radioactive waste is enclosed in final storage containers - so-called Konrad containers - in a cement matrix and thus conditioned for transfer to the Konrad repository.
SKB, Sweden
Encapsulation facility for the storage of spent fuel element
Services: Bilfinger has planned the design of all processes and the associated mechanical engineering equipment as well as the building areas for packaging (encapsulation) of spent fuel elements suitable for final storage. In addition, Bilfinger has coordinated the trades with the building design and provided input for the safety report and safety analysis (defense-in-depth analysis).
EDF Energy (Électricité de France SA), France
Conditioning plant for radioactive waste
Services: Bilfinger was responsible for the planning, design, calculation, manufacture, assembly and commissioning of the hot cells and the components required for this. The machine technology relevant to the process as well as the remote-handling components for concreting the containers were significant for the order.
