The dismantling of the second UMCP Glove Box was completed at Saluggia
19 December 2023
On 18 December, Sogin Group finished dismantling the second Glove Box of the UMCP (Plutonium Conversion Manual Unit) plant at the Saluggia site.
The UMCP plant was built in 1987 to convert plutonium produced from past nuclear fuel reprocessing campaigns from liquid to solid state that took place at the five UMCP Glove Boxes.
Planning for the dismantling of the UMCP Glove Boxes began in 2021 with the creation of a special team consisting of personnel from the Saluggia site and the Casaccia facility, where similar activities were completed.
The dismantling of the second Glove Box, after dismantling the first one at the end of 2022, was carried out using the alpha-tight containment tent (TATA) equipped with gloved passages that allowed operators to perform dismantling operations from outside the containment system, thereby guaranteeing maximum safety at every step.
This significant goal was achieved through effective collaboration between Sogin personnel at the Casaccia and Saluggia sites and Nucleco personnel. The teams pooled the experience and skills already acquired with the Plutonium Plant's glovebox dismantling programme.