Jurgen Hansen from Belgoprocess and Tom van Asten from Montair are standing in front of the PRIME installation

In their own words

Jurgen Hansen, Business Development Manager at Belgoprocess

The beginning

“Towards the end of the 1990s, Belgoprocess was looking for an integrator for a pyrolysis installation that specialized in detailed engineering, construction, and commissioning. This very specific installation included components in different disciplines and was intended for implementation in the nuclear industry. Montair has truly mastered this, and collaboration is ideal for both parties – Montair offers everything from design to manufacture, while we share our knowledge of nuclear processes."

Collaboration

"We now know what to expect of one another and have mutual confidence in one another’s work. At Montair, we are confident that once you embark on a project, it will be brought to a successful conclusion. As an example – in 2019, we jointly applied for two patents for a completely new pyrolysis installation, the PRIME installation (Pyrolysis of Resins In Mobile Electric installation). This mobile installation has been specially designed to be used in locations around the world to safely mineralize nuclear loaded resin originating from nuclear energy generation so that it can then be put into long-term storage."

Jurgen Hansen from Belgoprocess speaks with Tom van Asten from Montair

Why Montair

"What makes Montair unique? The company can offer a complete and diverse package, from isolators to complete and complex process installations. They have a multi-disciplinary team, knowledge in different fields is combined and used to achieve bespoke results for clients. Whether it is a dual lid system on a nuclear drum, a thick metal access door that must satisfy all radiation and air-tightness requirements, the exhaust gas from a plasma installation, or robots that need to work in a sealed room – Montair has the right people with the right certifications and permits to work in secure and controlled areas. In a nutshell, they’re deployable in every field.”

Who is Belgoprocess?

Belgoprocess is a subsidiary of NIRAS (the National Institute for Radioactive Waste and Enriched Fissile Materials). NIRAS is responsible for the management of radioactive waste in Belgium. Belgoprocess has the knowledge, experience, and a polyvalent infrastructure for the safe and socially responsible processing and storage of radioactive waste materials and the dismantling of nuclear installations. The company lends its operational expertise and services to national and international clients. Its services are wide-ranging, from the processing of foreign waste in installations on site at Belgoprocess, to dismantling decommissioned nuclear installations, to providing expertise in the use of, inter alia, thermal processes. For the latter, Belgoprocess focuses strongly on plasma technology and the pyrolysis of medium-active resins.