PCI Energy Services LLC (PCI), from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA has successfully completed the welding demonstration phase of its recently awarded dry fuel storage canister welding contract with Dominion Nuclear Connecticut (DNC) for Millstone Power Station. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission required the demonstration prior to actual welding on DNC’s TransNuclear NUHOMS 32PT canisters. The normally required lid cutting demonstration was not necessary because of prior successful cutting demonstrations by PCI on TransNuclear canisters at its Lake Bluff facility. The key factor in this contract is PCI’s TERMINATOR(TM) canister welding system. The TERMINATOR(TM) design incorporates dual welding heads, PCI’s ECLIPSE(R) Vision System, and numerous other design features that allow significant reductions in radiation dose exposure during the welding activities. At Palo Verde, some of the lowest record radiation exposures were achieved over the two campaigns completed to date. All 12 canisters completed at Palo Verde in 2004 were performed under the 0.383 rem-per-canister goal. Welding of the first two canisters will begin in February 2005.
