The reactor was constructed as a prototype pebble bed reactor in the 1960s, before being shut down in 1988. The plant is now being decommissioned by AVR GmbH, which contracted Mammoet to plan and perform the removal of the reactor vessel.
A concrete building known as a ‘material lock’ was constructed over the existing reactor building prior to the operation, to allow the reactor to be opened in a protected environment.
Mammoet then used custom-designed skidding and lifting equipment to move the 2,000t reactor vessel, which was 26m high and had a diameter of 7.6m.
Later this year the vessel will be lifted out of its support frame and moved from its current vertical position into a horizontal position, before being placed in a transport frame and moved on SPMTs to a purpose-built storage building.
