Lucie Kándlová, ČTK (Czech News Agency)
8.11. 2024, 12:24
For the first time, the Temelín Nuclear Power Plant has used Narran’s laser technology to clean debris. They used a light beam to clean the top of the inspection shaft, where the reactor’s internal parts are deposited during shutdown. Usually, mechanical methods such as grinding are used to do this.
The laser cleaning method was used for the first time at the South Bohemia nuclear power plant a few days ago during the shutdown of unit 2. Laser cleaning is very gentle on the surface of the material and does not abrade it. Marek Sviták, spokesman for the Temelín nuclear power plant, informed that in three days an area of ten square metres was cleaned with the laser.
“The laser sends a precisely focused beam of light with high energy to the surface, which heats the dirt without damaging the underlying material. These either evaporate or fall off in the form of dust particles,” said Jiří Hajdík, manager of the Nuclear Power Plant Special Processes Unit, describing the method. The laser equipment is operated by two workers wearing overalls and breathing apparatus. One uses the laser to remove the dirt, the other extracts it.
