Polar cranes, or reactor building cranes, serve essential roles in fuel assembly operations, reactor head removal and replacement, and versatile lifting requirements that cater to a range of maintenance and operational tasks with the utmost quality and safety. Operating on a circular runway, polar cranes are designed for heavy lifts and primarily used for reactor head removal and replacement as well as facilitating refueling outages.

PAR has designed and built polar cranes that perform plant maintenance and operational functions from the dawn of the nuclear era. Our designs improve personnel safety, productivity, and reliability of the plant through custom tailored features for the application, safety mechanisms and precision positioning in a single failure proof design.

Nuclear cask handling cranes, also known as spent fuel handling cranes, are specialized lifting devices used in the nuclear industry to handle and transport heavy casks containing spent nuclear fuel or other radioactive materials.

PAR has experience designing and building custom cask handling cranes to ensure the safety and efficient movement of nuclear casks throughout various stages of the nuclear fuel cycle, including storage, transportation, and disposal. We recognize the significance of effectively managing precise operations while prioritizing safety and dependability.

Fuel handling equipment is responsible for the loading and unloading of nuclear fuel into and out of the reactor core. PAR designs systems that transport fuel assemblies from storage to the reactor vessel and the precisely position and insert fuel assemblies into the core during refueling operations.

Our systems ensure safe and efficient handling of nuclear fuel, including precise positioning and insertion of fuel assemblies, transfer to storage pools or dry cask storage systems, repairs or replacements, and separation of reusable materials. Our fuel handling systems have proven to improve operational efficiency, minimize downtime during refueling, and optimize the availability of nuclear power plants and SMRs.

Image courtesy of Southern Nuclear

PAR fuel handling equipment also assists in the storage and management of spent fuel and fresh fuel assemblies. The involves safe transfer of fuel assemblies to and from storage pools or dry cask storage systems. Our expertly designed equipment helps power plants ensure proper handling and shielding to protect personnel and the environment from radiation exposure.

Efficient and reliable fuel handling equipment is crucial for minimizing downtime during refueling operations and optimizing the availability of nuclear power plants and SMRs. Well-designed equipment and automated systems can streamline fuel handling processes, reducing human error and improving overall operational efficiency.