ONET’s BRADTEC to underpin UK’s key nuclear decommissioning business

Sept. 5, 2011 - PRLog -- ONET TECHNOLOGIES has taken over BRADTEC DECON TECHNOLOGIES LTD, which is an established player in the British civil nuclear industry. BRADTEC initially developed the Magnox Dissolution Process in the 1980s and its technology now presents a number of possible applications throughout the nuclear sector at facilities such as Sellafield (in North-Western England).

The Magnox Dissolution Process was originally pioneered by BRADTEC’s founders, George Elder and David Bradbury, in the 1980s. Magnox is the magnesium-based fuel cladding used in reactors of that name in the UK. In the Magnox Dissolution Process, the cladding is dissolved in carbonated water. The process is highly selective and safe, and allows waste Magnox cladding to be dissolved in a controlled manner without dissolving other radioactive materials present.

The technology has progressed to full-scale application at the Dungeness A power station, in South-Eastern England, where it has been instrumental in dealing with the Magnox splitter and lug waste at that plant.

The Magnox Dissolution Process technology has significant application potential at Sellafield, which is home to a wide range of nuclear facilities, as much of the material in its legacy ponds and silos area is based on Magnox and its corrosion products. The process presents a number of possible applications to assist with the decommissioning of these facilities.

Following an initial study as part of the UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s Direct Research Portfolio, further work has now been placed with BRADTEC and therefore ONET TECHNOLOGIES, which took over BRADTEC in July 2011, in order to examine the potential options. This will be followed by more detailed examination of the most promising applications identified. Over 20% of the entire budget of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is planned to be spent on the decommissioning of the legacy ponds and silos facilities.

The purpose of chemical decontamination is to remove radioactivity from metal components to aid decommissioning and waste management. BRADTEC has developed the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Decontamination for Decommissioning (DFD) and EPRI DFDX Chemical Decontamination Processes with funding from the EPRI, which owns the intellectual property and is based in California (in the USA). BRADTEC also has a worldwide application licence from EPRI.

Initial development of the chemical decontamination technologies took place in the mid-1990s. These technologies have since been used to clean components and systems in metal-management factories and on nuclear sites. Interest is intensifying in the UK, where these technologies are valued, as they can support decommissioning and metal-recycling operations. The processes have been used recently to clean heat exchanger plates at the Wylfa power station (on Anglesey, in North Wales) and are applicable to steel systems as well as to a number of other metals. EPRI DFDX can be applied on site to whole systems prior to dismantling, or to components in a factory situation.

About BRADTEC DECON TECHNOLOGIES LTD

BRADTEC DECON TECHNOLOGIES LTD, which is based in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire (in Western England), was founded in 1989 by David Bradbury and George Elder, who are acknowledged internationally as leading experts in the development of technology for the decommissioning of nuclear facilities.

BRADTEC has developed technologies in chemical decontamination, which is used to clean internal contaminated surfaces of equipment used in the nuclear industry. It is now a world leader in this technology, particularly the LOMI, EPRI DFD and DFDX processes which are widely applied in nuclear facilities.

BRADTEC is recognised as a world authority on graphite management and has undertaken contracts for the EPRI international decommissioning technology programme, among others. BRADTEC leads the international graphite-recycling research programme, as part of the CARBOWASTE project.

BRADTEC is also a leader in the technology for the management (including cleaning and recycling) of radioactively contaminated metal in the nuclear industry.

BRADTEC carries out a number of activities for its key clients including artefact testing and deploying the EPRI DFD & DFDX process; recycling activities; oil scale treatment; process development and R&D contracts; lead management; Magnox management; consultancy support; and, finally, specialist decontamination development.

For further information about BRADTEC, please go to: www.bradtec.com

About ONET TECHNOLOGIES

ONET TECHNOLOGIES is part of ONET group, which is headquartered in Marseille (in South-Eastern France). ONET TECHNOLOGIES provides advanced solutions in the civil nuclear industry, and assists players seeking technological solutions that will contribute to the responsible development of nuclear energy.

ONET TECHNOLOGIES has been a key player in the civil nuclear industry for over 30 years. Today, ONET TECHNOLOGIES has a workforce of more than 2,300, including 600 engineers and experts, as well as nearly 1,700 technicians and specialist operators. The company’s turnover is of €225 million.

ONET TECHNOLOGIES supports its customers throughout the entire life-cycle of their nuclear facilities by offering three broad areas of expertise: firstly, regarding engineering and the maintenance of active nuclear reactors and installations; secondly, regarding dismantling, decontamination and the management of radioactive waste for installations that are no longer in service; and, thirdly, in the area of new build.

ONET TECHNOLOGIES is France’s market leader in the dismantling of power reactors and the management of radioactive waste.

ONET TECHNOLOGIES is also a leading manufacturing concern. Since 2001, ONET TECHNOLOGIES has sought to set up partnerships with major international players in engineering and manufacturing, the most noteworthy of which is its alliance with MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES in order to supply steam generators to international energy group EDF.

ONET TECHNOLOGIES has underpinned its international expansion through the setting-up of various subsidiaries, which include ONET TECHNOLOGIES UK, ONET TECHNOLOGIES BULGARIA, ONET TECHNOLOGIES ROMANIA, ONET TECHNOLOGIES ITALIA and ONET TECHNOLOGIES INDIA.

ONET TECHNOLOGIES is also focused on innovations for the future, and is bringing its expertise to projects such as ITER, experimental reactors and Generation IV.

For more information about ONET TECHNOLOGIES, please go to: www.onet-technologies.com/en/


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