A Potain MD 3200 being used to reinforce the sarcophogus containing radioactive material at Chernobyl Reactor No. 4, Ukraine.
When the plant’s Reactor No. 4 caught fire on the morning of April 26 1986, radiation devastated the local area and spread in a cloud across Europe. Once the blaze was put down, costing the lives of many of the firefighters involved, a concrete sarcophagus was erected to enclose the reactor and contain the radiation.
In the twenty years since the accident, this temporary containing structure has weakened, and now stands at risk of collapsing, potentially releasing a new cloud of radioactive material. Contractors UTEM, of Kiev, bought the MD 3200 to the site in late 2005 to install steel elements that will reinforce the structure while a permanent solution is sought.
A radiation-proof control centre has been built at the site, and a 100m long, 15m wide, track laid to allow the crane to travel to the sarcophagus. Operators, guided by cameras on the crane, will use a remote control system to lift the steel pieces into place. Feedback screens will provide the team with precise information on the position of the load.
The MD 3200 is fitted with a 70m jib with a hook under height of 72m, a 250 LCC 133 hoisting winch and six falls of wire rope. It can lift a maximum load of 80t, or 39t at its jib end. Work on the site started in June 2006, and is scheduled for completion in December 2006.
