The Design, Manufacture, and Testing of a Container Module to Satisfy the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, 1985 Edition (as Amended 1990), for the Transport of an Advanced Gas Cooler Reactor (AGR) Gas Circulator

Heysham I and Hartlepool are sister Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactor (AGR) nuclear power plants operated by Nuclear Electric plc. They share a common design of gas circulator; a total of eight circulators being installed in each reactor to circulate the primary coolant, C02, through the reactor core and boilers. A total of four spare gas circulators were provided per station, which served to safeguard generation in the event of maintenance being required on an in-circuit unit. As an insurance measure against there being no fully overhauled gas circulator available, Nuclear Electric identified the requirements for a container module to transport a spare circulator between the stations should the need arise. In such circumstances, it would be necessary to transport a gas circulator safely and with the minimum of radiological impact while complying with the relevant transport standards and regulations. To this end, a Gas Circulator Transportation Module was designed, manufactured and tested, and a safety case prepared to demonstrate compliance with the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport or Radioactive Material, 1985 Edition (As Amended 1990).