Studsvik has signed a 20-year agreement with Westinghouse Sweden for treatment of uranium-contaminated waste with a method using pyrolysis instead of incineration. The total order value is SEK 130 million over a 20-year period. The waste will be treated in a pyrolysis facility which Studsvik intends to build adjacent to the existing incineration facility in the Studsvik area. The new facility is expected to come into operation at the end of 2011 and has the capacity to treat waste from other customers as well. "This is a strategically important agreement in which we and technical experts from Westinghouse together develop a method enabling safe and environmentally friendly treatment of uranium contaminated waste that we can also use for other customers and other types of waste. The method allows Westinghouse to choose between final disposal of residual products in the final repository in Östhammar planned by the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company, SKB, or, where necessary, to recover the uranium from the ash to be reused at a lower cost than at present," comments Mats Fridolfsson, head of Segment Sweden. For further information please contact: Mats Fridolfsson, Head of Segment Sweden, +46 76 002 10 64 or Magnus Groth, President and Chief Executive Officer, Studsvik AB, +46 76 002 10 86 Facts about Studsvik Studsvik offers a range of advanced technical services to the international nuclear power industry in waste treatment, decommissioning, engineering and services, and operating efficiency. The company has 60 years experience of nuclear technology and radiological services. Studsvik is a leading supplier on a rapidly expanding market. The business is conducted through five segments: Sweden, United Kingdom, Germany, USA and Global Services. Studsvik has 1,200 employees in 8 countries and the company's shares are listed on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm. Facts about Studsvik's facilities for treatment of radioactive waste Studsvik offers the treatment of low and intermediate-level waste at its facilities outside Nyköping, Sweden, in Erwin and Memphis, Tennessee, US, and in Workington, UK. The Swedish facilities process dry and metallic waste from nuclear facilities mainly in Europe, through incineration and melting. The facility at Erwin volume treats wet waste using a unique proprietary pyrolysis process, THOR(®). The facility in Memphis processes dry waste such as General Waste (GW), Bulk Survey for Release (BSFR), and Large Components (LC). The facility in Workington treats low-level waste metal while at the same time recovers valuable metal for recycling. The primary purpose of the treatment is to achieve volume-reduction and stabilization of waste before disposal. Facts about the concept of pyrolysis Pyrolysis, or dry distillation, is a process in which material is heated to a high temperature, usually about 500-1000°C, in an oxygen-free environment so that it disintegrates without incineration. In pyrolysis, volatile substances are released in the form of gas, while a residue remains in solid or liquid form. Hence, pyrolysis is a form of thermal degradation. Studsvik is publishing this information pursuant to the Securities Market Act and/or the Financial Instruments Trading Act. The Information was released for public disclosure on April 1, 2011 at 08:45 AM CET. www.studsvik.com [HUG#1502535]
Studsvik signs 20-year agreement worth SEK 130 million
| Source: Studsvik AB