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Hunterston Nuclear Power Station – Magnox ILW Handling Solutions

Aerospace, Nuclear & Defence

The Challenge

The Magnox plant at Hunterston required high-integrity mechanical handling solutions for the safe and reliable retrieval, manipulation, packaging and transport of Intermediate Level Waste (ILW).

Various waste boxes and drums, each posing their own unique challenges, needed to be handled in a manner that met demanding Safety Cases. And all in processing environments that carry operator exposure risks, so automation and remote control were a prerequisite.

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Hunterston Nuclear Power Station - Magnox ILW Handling Solutions bespoke intelligent solution
Hunterston Nuclear Power Station - Magnox ILW Handling Solutions bespoke intelligent solution

The Solution

SCX designed, built, tested and installed three handling solutions, each tailored to the differing requirements of Hunterston’s ILW packages and their processing environments.

Each crane has a bespoke motorised rotating grapple, with one carrying a remote-controlled mast for entering ILW sludge ponds to safely retrieve and package waste materials. The cranes demonstrate our capability to engineer and deliver safe, reliable handling solutions for nuclear-licensed sites.

Technical Details

Precision positioning
  • The bespoke grapple engages with either ILW boxes or drums via four twist lock sockets
  • The package is then held in a preset position for swabbing, then lowered into a cross-site transporter vehicle for transfer to the storage facility
  • Limit switches, load cells, proximity switches and photocells provide advanced EC&I monitoring and millimetre precision
Thoughtful engineering
  • The innovative latching and rotating grapple engages via twist locks into a common socket interface used on a range of ILW packages
  • The chassis of the crab is carefully planned to mount cabinets and cabling, and to provide easy maintenance access
  • SCX’s EC&I design employs load cells, encoders and limit switches, sending real-time data back to the operator and detecting potential safety issues
Ensuring repeatable accuracy
  • Fine electrical control, precise mechanical design and laser positioning ensure millimetre accuracy
  • Our bespoke grapple design interfaces with either Nirex boxes or drums, complete with a sophisticated locking detection system with visual confirmation flags for safety
  • The system uses semi-automated positioning presets, all controlled remotely via a CCTV-fed desk

Explore more specialist handling solutions from SCX

Magnox Berkeley – ILW Import/Export Nuclear Cranes

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Sellafield & CNSL: Pile Fuel Storage Pond Cranes

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Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd – Drum Handling Crane

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