A fleet of bespoke
HubTex vehicles developed for the future storage of radioactive waste at Germany's Konrad repository is entering its next project phase, with several of the largest machines now set for underground assembly 850 metres below ground.
Designed for the
German Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal (BGE), the fleet comprises five specialised vehicle types that will handle a range of tasks, from surface transport through to the precise positioning of low and intermediate-level radioactive waste within the repository. Additional vehicles will transport concrete for the eventual backfilling of storage areas.
Rather than relying on individual machines, the system has been engineered around the safe interaction of multiple vehicle types operating at defined transfer points. Several of the larger vehicles will be dismantled, transported underground in sections and reassembled on site, while maintaining a continuous inspection and documentation trail.
No standard vehicle platform was suitable for the application. Narrow roadways, steep gradients, high payloads and strict operational requirements demanded entirely new chassis, steering, lifting and safety concepts.
The vehicles incorporate a range of protective features, including shielded operator cabs with lead-glass windows and steel walls, protected ventilation, fire detection and suppression systems, emergency steering and advanced guidance technologies. Position monitoring, optical guidance, load tracking and communications systems ensure their integration within the overall handling process.
"The greatest challenge lies not in any individual vehicle, but in the interaction of all functions and interfaces," said Frank Knurr, sales and project engineer for the BGE project at HubTex. "Mechanics, protection systems, transfers and process monitoring had to be conceived as an integrated overall system from the outset."
Safety and traceability have been central to the programme. Alongside the vehicles themselves, HubTex has developed comprehensive documentation, inspection plans and quality assurance procedures covering design, manufacture and testing. Materials, welds and assemblies are inspected throughout production, with oversight from BGE and independent experts.
The project highlights HubTex's capability to develop highly specialised materials-handling solutions for environments where heavy, sensitive or hazardous loads must be moved safely through restricted spaces under demanding operating conditions.