ENGIE Laborelec has Developed for Decades around ENGIE Electrabel, the Operator of the Belgian Nuclear Fleet to Support the Operation, Maintenance and Upgrades of the 7 Power plants
From this history we inherit:
- A very operational feedback obtained on the field and through the diagnosis and resolution of the entire range of hazards that a nuclear installation may encounter over 50 years of operation
- A human capital of great value; at least one expert for each technical topic at stakes to manage a NPP
- A rich fleet of equipment which makes it possible to respond to a very wide range of requests from Electrabel in terms of diagnosis, qualification and development of new technologies (particularly in terms of radioactive waste management)
- A corporate culture, a DNA that perfectly balances field pragmatism, scientific rigor and a driver of innovation
Laborelec has always been open and active apart from strictly supporting the Belgian fleet, deploying its skills and resources for the benefit of other players on other types of facilities. This facet of our activity, until then in the minority, has been growing in recent years, in a context of upheaval in the nuclear industry in Belgium. In this period of growing concerns regarding D&D and radioactive waste management, our capabilities in NDT, Characterisation, Nuclear Chemistry, materials and concrete are key as well as our understanding of ageing mechanisms. We have the ambition to have more and more D&D and radioactive waste management systems being developed, installed and tested in our laboratories generating the highest value from our assets (technological halls).
We’re convinced that our unique profile combining expertise and pragmatism obtained on the field by our experts can make the difference when complex problems need to be solved at reasonable total costs. Mote specific on D&D, we characterize your radioactive material on your site using physico-chemi-cal and radiological testing methods. We have decades of experience in characterizing operational and legacy waste streams from Belgian nuclear power plants, making sure to remain aligned with changing regulations. In addition to operational waste streams, we can characterize the new types of waste that will result from D&D activities, including reactor vessel components, control rods and other components from the reactor pool, shielding material, and all types of bulk materials.
We carry out complex gamma spectrometry measurements at your site, using our own detectors and completing the process of getting our methodology approved by the authorities. We also provide onsite calibration services for radiological measurement equipment, making sure that the measure-ments are reliable.
In addition to characterizing waste streams, we develop and monitor solutions for the sorting, treatment and conditioning of any radioactive waste that will result from your plant’s final shutdown and dismantling. We have decades of valuable experience at Belgian nuclear power plants with developing and applying chemical decontamination methods and viable solutions for the conditioning of radioactive waste.
We test and validate these waste conditioning processes, making sure that they are accepted by the waste authorities in a timely manner. If needed, we assist operators in their discussions with the authorities, for example regarding changing regulations and acceptance criteria.
