IRVINE, Calif. & TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kurion, Inc., an innovator in nuclear and hazardous waste management, announced it was awarded a contract by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) for a second Kurion Mobile Processing System for deployment at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant site. The first system started operating at the site in early October 2014 and has exceeded its performance targets during this period. Kurion recently completed construction and testing of a second system identical to the first, which arrived in Japan last week.
“We are honored to be entrusted by TEPCO to build and deliver a second mobile system to remove strontium from the tank water at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant site,” said Kurion Founder and President John Raymont. “The successful performance of the first mobile processing system demonstrates that our novel, at-tank approach is effective and can help improve the safety of the site by reducing strontium levels. Our ability to deliver a system of this sophistication on an expected basis of less than three months is a tribute to our employees and fabrication partner, HiLine Engineering and Fabrication.”
Earlier this year Kurion was awarded a contract to create the first Kurion Mobile Processing System. This first-of-its-kind, at-tank mobile isotope removal system was designed to help TEPCO reduce strontium (Sr) from the hundreds of tanks on-site that contain approximately 400,000 metric tons of water, a volume that is expanding at 400 tons per day.
Since beginning operations in October, the first Kurion Mobile Processing System has processed more than 11,000 metric tons of water. During this time, the system removed better than 99.95% of the strontium from the water, surpassing decontamination targets.
“We are proud to once again be chosen to support TEPCO in its cleanup of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant site,” added Kurion CEO Bill Gallo. “The sound performance of the first Kurion Mobile Processing System demonstrates our commitment and ability to innovate and deliver effective solutions for even the most complex waste management challenges.”
The second Mobile Processing System will also remove strontium and is intended to help TEPCO accelerate treatment of the water at the site. The system will begin commissioning this week at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant site and is expected to begin operations in mid-January 2015.
This new project expands Kurion’s role in assisting in cleanup at the site. In 2011 Kurion played the key role in delivering the cesium removal/adsorption system as part of an unprecedented effort by an international team of leading nuclear waste management companies to quickly deliver the first-ever external reactor cooling and purification system, which continues to operate today. That system has processed about 240,000 m3 (about 63 million gallons) of water and is responsible for removing nearly 70% of all cesium activity at the site to date. The company’s robotics team created a remote inspection manipulator that was sent into the Unit 2 reactor building this summer to detect leaks within the primary containment vessel. Additionally, Kurion was recently selected by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry for a demonstration project of Kurion’s detritiation technology for possible use at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant site.
ABOUT KURION
Kurion creates technology solutions to access, separate and stabilize nuclear and hazardous waste to isolate it from the environment. Kurion’s suite of technologies and engineering capabilities offer a platform to address the most-challenging nuclear and hazardous waste sites worldwide. Founded in 2008, Kurion is backed by leading energy investors Lux Capital, Firelake Capital Management and Acadia Woods Partners. The company is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and has facilities in Richland, Wash.; Houston, Texas; Loveland, Colo.; Tokyo, Japan; and Warrington, England. For more information, please visit www.kurion.com.