SHOREVIEW, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PaR Systems, Inc. (http://www.par.com), a world leader in specialty cranes, automation, and robotic solutions since 1961, plays a major role in the clean-up system for Chernobyl’s New Safe Confinement project.
A major documentary telling the story of Chernobyl’s New Safe Confinement project will be airing in the USA on the PBS network on April 26, 2017 at 8 PM CDT / 9 PM EDT. This marks the 31st anniversary date of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident in Ukraine (April 26, 1986).
The main purpose of the New Safe Confinement is to contain radioactive material, protecting the outside environment from further radioactive contamination and provide a safe workspace for the task of dismantling and clean-up of Chernobyl’s destroyed Unit 4 reactor.
This documentary was filmed over many years and tells the story of the international efforts it took to build the structure and equipment in order to shelter and dismantle Chernobyl's destroyed Unit 4 and degraded sarcophagus, including the remotely operated cranes provided by Minnesota-based company, PaR Systems (Shoreview, Minnesota). PaR's Main Cranes System (MCS), including the TensileTruss™ tool platform, (the yellow-colored equipment shown in the attached images) will be critical to the clean-up of Chernobyl’s destroyed Unit 4 reactor, which will now happen inside the mega tomb over the next 100 years. The 36,000 metric ton (39,683 US ton), 108 meters (355 feet) tall New Safe Confinement arch was slid 350 meters (1,148 feet) into place over the reactor and was celebrated by the worldwide community on November 29, 2016.
The equipment provided by PaR Systems will be used exclusively for the clean-up efforts of the destroyed nuclear reactor 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. PaR Systems has provided their patented TensileTruss™ technology, which enables a rigid lightweight extendible Mobile Tool Platform (MTP), along with a full suite of specialized technologies, for robotic clean-up.
The MCS is enormous in size, measuring in at 96 meters long, which is taller than the Statue of Liberty. The MCS consists of four major components including: two 96 meter (315 feet) bridge cranes, a classic carriage hoist, a secure carriage hoist, and a Mobile Tool Platform (MTP) utilizing PaR’s TensileTruss™ technology. The major components of the MCS required extensive engineering, reliability analysis and a remote control and video monitoring system to ensure it could operate in the harsh radioactive environment. PaR Systems’ sophisticated crane system will be instrumental in safely cleaning up of one of the world’s worst nuclear accidents at the Chernobyl Reactor 4 site.
More information on the NOVA documentary program broadcast can be found at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/chernobyls-megatomb.html
This documentary was produced by Windfall Films, Ltd.
More information on the project can be found at: http://www.ebrd.com/what-we-do/sectors/nuclear-safety/chernobyl-overview.html
About PaR Systems Inc.
PaR Systems, a portfolio company of
MML Capital Partners (www.mmlcapital.com),
is a world leader in providing advanced intelligent solutions for
critical material handling, automation, and robotic applications that
drive customer quality, safety, and productivity. Since 1961, PaR has
created fully integrated systems, which are often first-of-a-kind
manufacturing solutions, for a broad range of industries including
aerospace, hazardous material/nuclear, life science and process
automation, marine/defense, heavy material handling, and industrial.
Headquartered in Minnesota, PaR Systems has global engineering and
manufacturing centers of excellence. For more information on PaR
Systems, please visit www.par.com.
Additional videos on the Chernobyl New Safe Confinement project:
Chernobyl Confinement: The Story, by Novarka: https://youtu.be/sX-DCIyDeLo
Chernobyl, The Final Movement, by Vinci Construction: https://youtu.be/n7aMcKinrWY
Chernobyl New Safe Confinement (A 3D virtual tour), by Vinci Construction: https://youtu.be/kF5Uv9jCJmc
Chernobyl Arch Sliding (time-lapse video), by EBRD: http://www.ebrd.com/news/video/timelapse-video-of-chernobyl-arch-sliding.html
Additional photos and information can be found here:
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Chernobyl Gallery: http://www.ebrd.com/ebrds-mission-in-chernobyl-gallery.html
Novarka: http://www.novarka.com/en/
