ESDRED - Remote handling equipment for waste canister emplacement

ECA has been awarded by CNIM, a contract to supply a full scale demonstrator for the remote-controlled emplacement of heavy load waste nuclear canisters (42 tonnes). This demonstrator, fabricated in the framework of the Engineering Studies and Demonstrations of Repository Designs (ESDRED) European Program, performs the transportation and emplacement of cylindrical spent-fuel canister in a horizontal and cylindrical drift.

Variante 1:
The key feature of this equipment is to transport the canister by means of a water cushion technology. Such a technology enables to handle heavy loads in an enclosed space while limiting the power consumption and the equipment.

Variante 2:
Due to the confined space the emplacement operation relies on water-cushion technology assembled on a pallet. The waste canister being fitted with feet, the pallet lies underneath the container enabling to lift the load and to move it along the pallet length. The emplacement of the canister in the drift is carried out by iteration of this process. Such a technology enables to handle heavy loads in an enclosed space while limiting the power consumption and the equipment.