In February 2014, Konecranes received an important order from State Enterprise Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (“INPP”) in Lithuania. The project scope is to upgrade two existing spent fuel cask cranes to a Konecranes SuperSafeTM patented single-failure-proof trolley design. The project is part of the decommissioning of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant. The order was booked in the first quarter 2014.
State Enterprise Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant suspended the production of energy on December 31, 2009 and since then its main activity has been decommissioning the nuclear power plant. The main goal of the enterprise is to effectively and safely close down the plant.
In the decommissioning process, nuclear spent fuel needs to be moved from the power plant to an interim storage facility. The spent fuel cask handling cranes to be modernized by Konecranes will move casks with spent fuel from the spent fuel pool, so that the casks can be relocated to the other facility.
“Modernization of existing Ignalina NPP’s cranes at the spent fuel storage pool halls is necessary to satisfy the technical preconditions of one of the key decommissioning projects. This project is specifically important because introducing of single-failure-proof system will ensure safe handling of spent fuel during operations at the units,” says Darius Janulevicius, Director General, INPP.
“We are delighted that Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant selected Konecranes to carry out the complete detailed modernization to the spent fuel cranes,” says Nicholas Bellwood, Konecranes’ Sales Director Nuclear - Europe. “We understood the high safety requirements that INPP had for the nuclear power plant and it was the perfect match to our SuperSafe single-failure-proof crane technology. We also understood that INPP has very important schedules that must be adhered to for the decommissioning to carry on as planned, as the cranes are an integral part of the decommissioning process.”
The project’s technical specification requires a new single-failure proof trolley with all new electrification. The trolley is composed of two single-proof hoists, the main hoist having a lifting capacity of 125 tons and the auxiliary hoist 20 tons.
With over 50 years of nuclear experience Konecranes employs one of the most experienced and diversified engineering teams in the nuclear material handling business. With its own specialized installation tools developed specifically for modernization work in nuclear facilities, projects can be carried out with safety and efficiency as priority.
Further information: Steve Waisanen, Head of Business Unit Nuclear E-mail: steve.waisanen@konecranes.com or phone +1-262-821-4055
Miikka Kinnunen, Director, Investor Relations Email: miikka.kinnunen@konecranes.com or phone: +358 20 427 2050
This press release is available at our website www.konecranes.com .
Konecranes is a world-leading group of Lifting Businesses™, serving a broad range of customers, including manufacturing and process industries, shipyards, ports and terminals. Konecranes provides productivity-enhancing lifting solutions as well as services for lifting equipment and machine tools of all makes. In 2013, Group sales totaled EUR 2,100 million. The Group has 11,800 employees, at 600 locations in 48 countries. Konecranes is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd (symbol: KCR1V).
