To solve these challenges, Veolia Nuclear Solutions has concluded a new collaboration agreement with Tree C Technology, a developer of virtual reality (VR) simulators for industrial applications, to bring state-of-the-art virtual reality simulation technology to the global nuclear decommissioning market. Veolia clients and employees will be able to take advantage of technology that will both allow for the safe simulation of complex, remote-handling nuclear projects, and real-time visualization of the same projects once they go into the field.
An innovative collaboration agreement
The new collaboration is called RETIINA – real time interaction – and works by using virtual reality technology to create a working environment of a project site and allowing interactivity within the site in real time. By being able to see a site, even hostile sites suffering from high radiation or extreme temperatures, Veolia’s team of professionals can better understand the challenges or obstacles that are part of a particular project. They can test out and visualize different proposed remote-handling solutions in a safe and controlled virtual environment, and they can show clients well in advance of being on-site what the best remediation solution may be, and then provide operational support during live operations. RETIINA captures tried and tested tools and methods used and developed by Veolia and Tree C over the past ten years.
Ultimately, it’s about providing more confidence when we tackle some of the toughest environmental challenges faced around the globe.
Risk control before and during operations
RETIINA works especially well because it can provide value throughout the lifecycle of a project, particularly when combined with Veolia Nuclear Solutions’ design engineering and remote handling expertise. At the start of the project, RETIINA can be used to create a three-dimension reconstruction of an inaccessible site so that Veolia’s team of professional problem solvers can assess, react and identify potential pathways to a solution. Once they’ve identified potential solutions, the team can then virtually test out their approaches, timing then, subjecting them to feasibility and safety checks, and then make more-informed decisions about the pathway forward.
The RETIINA initiative is proved technology, transferred from the oil, gas and fusion industries, now building a track record in nuclear decommissioning. RETIINA is already helping Veolia Nuclear Solutions tackle some of the most intensive environmental remediation issues being faced around the world. Specifically, Veolia’s RETIINA team is currently working on the remote investigation of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant reactors in Japan, providing the team new insight into the challenges faced.
