Year
2001
File Attachment
33278.PDF198.47 KB
Abstract
Transnucléaire has developed a new concept of tank vehicle, named « TN-CIEL », intended for road transportation of low level radioactive waste and potentially corrosive liquids. The tank vehicle (fig.1.) is licensed with respect to the ADR transport regulation for “class 7” (radioactive materials) but is also designed for “class 8” (corrosive materials). According to the regulation of transport of radioactive material, this tank is classified as Industrial Package Type 2 (IP-2). The French authorities, DRIRE (Regional Directorate for Industry Research and Environment), are responsible for licensing tank vehicles. They imposed the following requirements: - the rolling parts (semi-trailer) of the TN-CIEL vehicle must be checked every year. - the inside cavity of the tank must be checked every three years with a leaktightness test and every six years with a hydraulic test at a pressure of 4 bars (relative pressure) for this design. It is now used for the transport of boric acid between the French nuclear power plants and the incineration facility. The tank has been developed specifically for the need of EDF, the French Utility which has participated to the financing of the vehicle. But Transnucléaire, as owner of the tank vehicle, is in charge of all operational activities including licensing, transport, maintenance and dismantling. This project illustrates the evolution of the transport in the future: this activity will be more and more outsourced from the main nuclear companies and will be taken in charge by specialized companies for which transport is the core business.