OÜ GK CAPITAL provided engineering design services and delivered 10,000 units of 200-litre capacity metal drums with removable lids and clamping rings and internal protective features (model: GK 212). The drums were used by the Client, the State Enterprise Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, in the cementation process of liquid radioactive waste carried out using a dedicated cementation facility. During the waste processing, liquid radioactive waste was mixed with cement and bentonite clay (according to a specified formulation) and poured into the drums designed and supplied by OÜ GK CAPITAL. Subsequently, the drums were handled by a remotely operated gripper via the lid’s locking ring and placed into containers for interim storage of cemented radioactive waste. Each reinforced concrete storage container is about 5.6 m3 and it holds eight (8) drums.
The storage period for the drums filled with solidified waste and placed into containers is no less than 15 years before final disposal.
The drums with removable lids and clamping rings, specially designed and manufactured by OÜ GK CAPITAL for this project, are intended for the long-term storage of Class C radioactive waste with a maximum dose rate of 20 mSv/h. The activity of the contents of a single drum may reach up to 1.6 × 10¹⁰ Bq.
The drum structure and coating are designed for the containment of Class C radioactive waste comprising a compound of liquid radioactive waste, including filter perlite pulp, ion-exchange resins, and evaporator residues, with a pH value ranging from 7 to 12.
The drums are used as waste packages and are transported over short distances in special containers within the client’s premises—from the drum filling facility to the Solid radioactive waste retrieval facility. All identification markings on the drum and lid remain legible for a minimum of 15 years.
The process environment is classified as category C5-I in accordance with the LST EN ISO 12944-2:2000 standard. The structural design and coating of the drums designed and manufactured by OÜ GK CAPITAL remain stable when exposed to temperatures ranging from +5°C to +70°C during the filling process.
The durability classification of the drum coating, as defined by LST EN ISO 12944-5, is category H (high), corresponding to a service life of 15 to 25 years.