Ansaldo Nuclear has designed and operated a custom Machine Retrieval System (MRS) robot to extract 2,000 drums of radioactive waste from Italy’s Caorso nuclear power plant.

Around 860 tonnes of radioactive ion exchange resins and sludges are said to be stored in the Caorso facility, which is now closed.

The robot will further transport 3,600 drums of waste to a storage facility in Slovakia for incineration and conditioning.

Francesca Maggini, Project Engineer and Bid Technical Manager at Ansaldo Nuclear, said: “The extent of the logistical challenge presented by this phase of the Caorso decommissioning project cannot be underestimated.

“The unique nature of nuclear decommissioning means it is important to face each decommissioning project as an entirely new challenge. You cannot simply repeat the successes of the past – you must pioneer and develop bespoke solutions in order to see the best results.

“Through effective innovation and installation, we have enabled the decommissioning of Caorso to continue. Ansaldo Nuclear has been involved with the decommissioning of Caorso since 2000 and we’re proud to remain on this substantial project today.”

The project, which was launched in January 2020, is said to be Italy’s largest decommissioning mission.