Delivering progress across the UK

into nuclear decommissioning

ISSUE 17 2015

INSIGHT

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WASTE MANAGEMENT

If you have any comments, please contact the editor Deborah Ward on 01925 832280 or deborah.ward@nda.gov.uk

2 NDA Business Plan published

3 Sellafieldmanagementdecision

4-6 Movingforwardonhighhazard silo

7 Waste bunker emptied

8-9 Site transformation into campus

10 Barry’spondfarewell

11 Less equals more at repository

12 Fuel-freeatSizewell

13 Demolitionunderway

14-15 Gloveboxesunwrapped

16 Fuel contract completed

Front cover: Sizewell A’s control room has now closed after being operational for more than 50 years

Contents

Business Plan now publishedConsultation has now closed on our Draft Business Plan 2015-2018, which sets out key objectives and plans for the next three years. Followingananalysisoftheresponses,afinalversionwillbepublishedattheendof March 2015. The NDA’s total planned expenditure for 2015/16 is £3.31 billion, of which£1.22billionwillbefundedbyincomefrom commercial operations. Planned expenditureonsiteprogrammeswillbe£2.91billion,whilenon-siteexpenditureisexpected to be £0.19 billion.

Non-site expenditure includes R&D, skills development, socio-economic support to communities, insurance and pension costs, feestoSLCs,implementinggeologicaldisposalandNDAoperatingcosts.

NDA Chief Executive John Clarke said: “This year sees the 10th anniversary of theNDA.DuringthepastdecadewehavecompletedtherestructuringoftheUKcivildecommissioningprogrammeandintroducedadecommissioningmindsettomuch of our estate.

“Thechallengeforthenextdecadeistobuild upon this and deliver a number of our sitesintotheirinterimendstateshavingcompletedbulkdecommissioning,alongwiththeremovalofthemajorityofthe nuclearwaste.”

HeaddedthattheyearaheadwouldbedominatedbyworktodeveloptheNDA’sthirdstrategy,whichisdueforpublicconsultationinautumn,followedby publication in March 2016. The NDA is requiredtoupdateitsstrategyeveryfiveyears.ThereviewofcurrentstrategywilltakeplacealongsidepreparationforwhatisexpectedtobeaverychallengingSpendingReviewin2015.

• The NDA has also published an explanation of the Nuclear Provision, which is the best estimate of costs for cleaning up NDA sites across a programme stretching more than 100 years into the future: www.gov.uk

The Committee has also invited Stephen Lovegrove,DECC’sPermanentSecretary,TonyPrice,SellafieldLtdChairman,PaulFoster,SellafieldLtdManagingDirectorandTomBishop,NMPchairmantogiveevidencetoitshearing.Thesessionhasbeen billed as an opportunity to “examine progressmadeatthesiteinthelastyearandexpectationsforthesimplifiedmanagementarrangements.”

TheNationalAuditOfficeproducedareporttoinformtheCommitteewhichpointstoimprovedperformanceatSellafieldinthelast 12 months. The report also sets out performanceagainst14ofSellafield’smajorprojectsandexplainstheprocesstheNDAwentthroughinordertoreachitsdecisiontochangethemanagementarrangementsatSellafield(www.nda.gov.uk).

Speakingbeforethehearing,JohnClarkesaid: “The NDA has continued to report openlyaboutthechallengesfacedintacklingthehistoriclegacyatEurope’smostcomplexandhazardousnuclearsite.Iwillbere-iteratingtotheCommitteethattheprimary reason for increases in costs and scheduleisbecausewenowhaveabetterunderstandingofthetechnicalapproachnecessary to tackle these unique facilities thatdatebacktothe1940sand50s.”

“I also hope to have the opportunity to explainthatwehavebeenthroughaverythoroughprocesstounderpinthedecisionwehavemadetochangethemodelatSellafield,andwhyweareconfidentthatthenewarrangementswillhelpustodeliverfurtherprogressandvalueformoney.”

Public Accounts Committee focus on Sellafield progressNDA chief executive John Clarke is due to appear before the Public Accounts Committee on 11th March as a follow-up session to the hearings held in Autumn 2013.

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Site management

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ThechangeswillseetheSiteLicenceCompany(SLC)SellafieldLtdcontinuetooperatebutundertheownershipoftheNDAratherthanunderthetemporaryownershipofaprivatesectorParentBodyOrganisation(PBO).

SellafieldLtdwillacquirea‘StrategicPartner’ to assist in the delivery of the decommissioningprogramme.Insimpleterms, the private sector becomes a supplier toSellafieldLtdratherthanaparentofit.

ThedecisionreflectstheNDA’sjudgementthatSellafield’scomplexityandtechnicaluncertainties–whicharefargreaterthanonany of the NDA’s other sites - mean that it is lesswellsuitedtothefullsite-widetransferofresponsibility to the private sector via a PBO structure.

TheNDA,SellafieldLtdandNMParecurrentlyengagedina15-monthtransitionprogramme,duringwhichtimetheoverridingpriorityismaintainingsafety,securityanddelivery performance on the site.

Theobjectiveoftheprogrammeisto implement a successful transition andestablishappropriategovernancearrangementsbetweenNDAandSellafieldLtd.ThiswillultimatelymodernisetheorganisationanddeveloptheenduringcapabilitiesrequiredtodelivertheSellafieldmission.

Over the course of the 15-month programme,activitieswillinclude:thetermination of the current PBO contract, theestablishmentofgovernancearrangementsforSellafieldLtdasanNDA

subsidiary,revisionofarrangementsforthemanagementofthesupplier/customerinterface and an overhaul of the socio-economicprogramme.

NDA’sSellafieldProgrammeDirectorPeteLutwychesaid:“Wehave13separateworkstreamsunderwaytosecurethetransitionandIampleasedwiththeprogressbeingmade,andwiththeengagementfromcurrentPBONuclearManagementPartnersontheprogramme.”

Photograph: Above, Sellafield is the NDA's most complex site

Sellafield complexities and uncertainties require new modelIn January, the Government approved the NDA’s decision to change the management model at Sellafield, following a detailed review.

Completion of the liquor transfer from part oftheMagnoxSwarfStorageSiloisasteptowardsemptyingthesilos,processingthewasteandsafelydecommissioningthislegacyplant.

Thenextstagewillbetoremovethesolidwastefromthefacility,processitandencapsulateitforlong-termstorage.

ThefeatwasachievedbyworkersinMSSSaspartofroutineoperations,whichsaw10,000terabequerelsofradioactivityremoved,meaningabouthalfofthemobileradioactivity inventory in this area of the buildinghasnowbeenremoved.

Duringtheprocess,liquorisremovedfromthesiloandtransferredthroughahigh-levelshieldedpipe-bridgetoa

moderntreatmentplantonthesite,whereradioactivityisremovedviaafiltrationandionexchangeprocess.

After each transfer of liquid, the silo is ‘toppedup’withcleanwater.Overall,twomillionlitresofliquideffluenthasbeenremoved.

MSSSwasakeysupportfacilityfortheUK’sMagnoxprogrammeduringitsoperational life. Since its closure, the focus hasbeenonhowtodecommissionit.

LeePeck,theNDA’sprogrammemanagerfortheMSSSprogramme,said:“Inlessthanfiveyears,twomillionlitresofliquideffluenthasbeenremovedfromMSSSwhichisafantasticachievement.

“Ithasbeenagreatteameffortwhichhasboth reduced the hazard at MSSS and madethejobofemptyingthesilosaferandmorestraightforward.”

ChrisHalliwell,SellafieldLtd’sHeadofMSSSsaid:“Thesilowasnotbuiltwithdecommissioninginmindsosafelyremovingtheliquidandsolidnuclearwastesrequiressomeingeniousengineering."

Photograph: Above, the Magnox Swarf Storage Silos at Sellafield

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Sellafieldspotlight on

Legacy ponds and silos

Radioactivity reduction is a team effort A project to take radioactive liquid out of one of Sellafield’s most hazardous facilities has made important progress.

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• TheMagnoxSwarfStorageSilo(MSSS)isoneSellafield’shighesthazardfacilities,alongwiththreeothersknowncollectivelyastheLegacyPondsandSilos.Clean-upanddecommissioningoftheMSSS is a priority for the NDA.

• Builtinthe1960s,theoriginalsixsiloswereusedtostoreirradiatedmetalliccladdingremovedfromMagnoxfuelbeforereprocessing.

• Followingseveralextensions,bythe1980s,wastewasstoredunderwaterin22individualcompartments and included a rangeofotherIntermediateLevelWaste(ILW).

• AlthoughMSSSclosedin1991,thelastwastewasemptiedintothe silos in 2000.

• Worktoplan,designandconstruct the facilities needed fordecommissioningtheMSSS,whichislocatedinahighlycongestedpartofthesite,hasbeenunderwayformanyyears. Three separate pieces of workarenowachievingmajorprogress.

Fact file

Workiscompleteona15metrehightowerwhichwillhelpstrengthentheMSSSbuildingduringitsdecommissioning.

Theprojectwasexecutedintwostages.Constructionofthetowerfinishedin2013andworktoattachittothe1960sbuildingearlierthisyear.

ProjectmanagerAndyBellexplained:“Thisisatotallyuniqueprojectwhichhashaditschallenges.Thetowerwasbuiltinahighlysecurearea,withsevere space restrictions and radiation levels that required a mobile shield in placetoprotecttheworkforce.

“We’venowcompletedthefinalpartofthejobtotie-inthe15metrehightowerwiththebuildingusing26tonnesofsteel.Literallybreakingintothe

sideofthebuildingwasnomeanfeatandweencounteredafewtechnicalproblems but these are all behind usnowandI’mdelightedwiththeprofessionalismshownbyallmembersoftheprojectteamtogetthejobdone.”

Construction of the seismic restraint towerbeganin2012andstartedwiththeexcavationofsome300-400 tonnes of earth and spoil. The towerwasbuiltoutof100tonnesofreinforcingsteeland500cubicmetresofconcrete,andweighsmorethan1200 tonnes.

Sir Robert MacAlpine safely carried outbothphaseswithalmost85,000manhoursofphysicalsiteworkcarriedoutwithoutasinglelost-timeaccident.

Photograph: Above, staff celebrate the completion of work

Strengthening the silos

Plants to scoop out wasteThe NDA Board recently visited Wolverhampton to see one of the 350-tonne Silo Emptying Plants (SEPs) in action as it enters the final stages of testing.

Themachine,alongwithtwoothers,willeventuallybeusedtoscoopouttheMSSScontents–arguablythemostchallengingdecommissioningprogrammeintheentireNDAestate.

AllthreearebeingbuiltbyengineeringfirmAnsaldoNES.Followingconstruction,themachinesaresubjectedtorigoroustestingbeforebeingdismantledandsenttoSellafieldwheretheywillbereassembledandplacedin-situ on the top of the silo.

SEP 2 is the furthest ahead in the processandtheNDAboardsawitinaction on the visit to NES’s HQ in the WestMidlands.TestingofSEP2isnearingcompletion,withinstallationdueto take place later this year.

PeteLutwyche,theNDA’sSellafieldProgrammeDirectorandamemberoftheNDABoard,wasonthevisit.

Hesaid:"I'vebeeninvolvedinthisprojectintwostints–attheNDAandin

mypreviousroleatSellafieldLtd-andtoseeitonthecuspofactuallydismantlinganddeliveringoneoftheSEPmachines to site is a really tremendous achievement.

“I think everyone involved can be very proudofwhatthey'vedone-it'saonce-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do a uniquepieceofengineeringforauniqueproblem.”

ChrisHalliwelladded:"There'sbeenabigteamworkingonthisprojectformanyyearsandI’mdelightedforthemthat their achievements have been recognisedbytheNDABoardtakingtime to come and say thank you and see whatthey'veachieved.

“There'sahugeamountofprideamongsttheteamandIreallyamdelightedforthem."

Legacy ponds and silos

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The one-day event for businesses supplyingthedecommissioningsector,nowbelievedtobethelargestofitskindinEurope,willonceagainbeheldatEventCityinManchester.Aswithpreviousyears,entrytotheeventwillbefreeofchargetobothvisitorsandexhibitors.

Around1,500delegatesfromacrossthe country attended the 2014 event,includingexistingsupplychainbusinessesandthosenewtodecommissioning.

Launchedfiveyearsago,theannualeventisorganisedjointlybytheNDAanditsSiteLicenceCompanies(SLCs)topromotegreatervisibilityofcontractopportunities for businesses interested intheUK’sdecommissioningmarketandtoprovideaninformalnetworkingforum,withparticularfocusonSmallandMediumEnterprises(SMEs).

Last year, the event also featured the GovernmentDepartmentUKTradeandInvestment(UKTI),whopromoteBritish

businesses to overseas markets, and the MOD’s Defence Equipment and Support andSubmarinesOperatingCentre.

Theeventwillalsoincludeapresentationceremonyforthewinnersoftheprestigious2015NDAEstateSupplyChainAwards.

Forthelatestupdatespleasesignuptooure-bulletinviatheNDAwebsitehomepageorfollowusontwitter @ndagovuk.

Supply ChainCharter for NuclearDecommissioning Sites

4th November is the date to rememberFollowingtheresoundingsuccessoflastyear’sevent,thedateforthe2015NDAEstateSupplyChainEventhasnowbeenconfirmedasWednesday,4November.

ThemergerisexpectedtobecompletelaterthisSpringandwillunitethe12sitesunderasingleleadershipteam,withasimplifiedstructureandarangeofsharedmanagementsystems.

Meanwhile,workcontinuesonthe‘consolidation’phaseofthenew contract,whichisexpectedtotake around 12 months and meet a number of important requirements under the terms of the contract.

TheproposalssubmittedbyCFPwerebased on information collated early in 2013,reflectingthesituationatMagnox/RSRLsitesatthetimebut,aswithanymajorprogrammeofwork,projectandtechnologicaldevelopmentshavesincetaken place. The consolidation phase of approximately 12 months enables CFP to understand these developments and revise its proposals appropriately, workingcloselywiththeSLCsandNDA toreachagreement.

NDAChiefFinancialOfficerDavidBatterssaid:“AspartofthecontractwonbyCFP, a period of consolidation and reconciliationwasbuiltintotheprocessforthewinningbiddertoconsiderthefinancialbidtheymadein2013andtotestthatagainstthesituationtheyactuallyinheritedinSeptember2014.Thenewplanemergingfromthatprocessisnotdueto

be presented to the NDA until later this year,butweremainconfidentthatthefinalplanagreedwithCFPatthattimewillseesubstantialsavingsandrepresentexcellentvalueformoneytothetaxpayer.”

The consolidation process is a key principleofthecontractandwasfullyanticipatedtotakeaccountofmajordevelopments. For example, the decision toextendgenerationatWylfainto2015bringsadditionaloperatingcostsaswellassignificantextraincomefortheNDA,whileatBradwellandTrawsfynyddtheambitiousprogrammestoaccelerateinterimclosuredates have encountered some delays butremainoncoursetoreduceoriginalforecasts by more than 10 years.

A further activity is the introduction of CFP’s technical innovations and efficiencies,whichincluderestructuringtheorganisation,andunderstandingthedetailofhowallchangescanbeimplementedateach site.

Revisionstoallsiteprogrammeswillbeincorporatedbeforeafinalbudgetisagreedtowardtheendofthiscalendaryear. An overall assessment of levels of changeacrossthefull14-yearcontractperiod is still to be determined.

Photograph: Above, an aerial shot of one of the Magnox sites, Wylfa

Site Licence Companies to mergeMagnox Ltd and RSRL are being merged into a single Site Licence Company (SLC) as part of the changes being introduced by the new Parent Body Organisation, the Cavendish Fluor Partnership (CFP).

Retrievalofthehighlyradioactivegraphiteandmetallicwastehasposedatechnicalchallengeformanyyearsandtherecentsuccessisamajormilestonefor the site.

Hunterston’stworeactorswere,unusually, constructed in an elevated positionataheightofmorethan 10metres,whichenabledaccessfromunderneath. Gravity assisted the removal ofusedfuel,whilerefuellingcouldbecarriedoutwithouttheneedforliftingmachinery above the active core.

Similarly,thefuelelementswerealsouniquetotheplant,incorporatingagraphitesleevewhichwasstrippedfromtheirradiateduraniumduringdischargefromthereactors,alongwithassociatedmetallic components.

ThisIntermediateLevelWaste(ILW)wastransportedviaundergroundtunnelsintooneofthefiveabove-groundbunkersmade of reinforced concrete.

The Solid Active Waste Bunker Recovery (SAWBR)projectwillrecoverallcontentsfrom the bunkers, and process it into a passivelysafestateforstorageinthesite’s ILW Store.

Followingremovalofthe62packagesfromBunker5,workwillstartonbreakingthroughintothenextbunker,

No4,withascheduledcompletiondateforlatein2016.Emptyingthesolidwastefromallbunkersisexpectedtofillmorethan1,200packagesandtakeafurtherthree to four years.

The NDA’s Brian Burnett, Head of ProgrammeDeliveryforMagnoxandRSRL, said: “This has been an extremely challengingprogrammewithmanytechnical problems to overcome. The journeytothisachievementhasbeenlonganddifficult,butisamajorstepinreducinghazardsatthesite.”

Martin Grafton, Site Director, added: “This is a key milestone for the site and workisalreadyunderwaytoaccessBunker4usingremoteequipment.Theteamhaveworkedhardtoimproveproductivityratesinthewasteretrievalprocess and a number of lessons learned andsuccessesachievedduringtheBunker5clearancewillnowbeappliedtotherecoveryofwastefromthefourremainingbunkers.”

Speciallyengineeredstainlesssteelpackagescontainingthewastehavebeen transferred to the ILW store. Eventually,thecontentswillbeencapsulatedingroutandthenreturnedtothestoreforthedecades-longCareand Maintenance phase before the site is fully cleared.

Photographs: From the top, the breakthrough is made into the bunker and its contents emptied.

Empty bunker marks beginning of the end The first of Hunterston’s five solid waste bunkers has been successfully emptied of more than 120 tonnes of hazardous material.

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Waste management

Arangeofhistoricnuclearfacilities,someofwhichwereoncedestinedfordemolition,willberefurbishedandbroughtbacktolifeasthecentrepieceofthenewdevelopment by South Gloucestershire andStroudCollege.

The land forms part of the old Berkeley Centre research complex that once carriedoutworkfortheUK’sentirenuclearindustry.In2006,followingacomprehensiveclean-upprogrammeovermanyyears,itbecamethefirstplotoflandownedbythenewlycreatedNDAtosecurede-licensing.

The28-acresitewassubsequentlyde-designatedbytheGovernmentin2010,enablingthesitetobereleasedfor further use.

Its development as a science and technologyparkwillmarksuccessfulcompletionofthefulldecommissioningcycle:arestoredsitegivenanewleaseoflife-andonethatbothreflectsitsindustrialheritageandmeetstheaspirationsofthelocalcommunityforatechnology-relatedsustainable future.

TheNDA’sPropertyManagerTonySmithers said: “This is, essentially, a site restored and mission accomplished.

"Wearedelightedthatthevisionofstakeholders,asexpressedduringconsultations about site end states some yearsago,willberealised.

“Thepotentialforusingtheseredundantfacilitiesforeducationalpurposeswasnotalwaysobvious,however,andwedidoncedrawupplanstodemolishthebuildings.

“Thecollege’splansareexcitingandambitious,supportingtheUK’sdrivetoexcelinscienceandengineering,whilealsobuildingonBerkeley’snuclearhistory.Welookforwardtoseeingthefirststudentswelcomedontothecampusandenjoyingtheirstudies.”

TheNDAhasagreedalong-termleaseforhalfofthe28-acresiteaftermarketingtheland for business use from 2006. Other premises on the site are already occupied byarangeofbusinesses.

Vocationalcoursesforthefirstintakeofpost-16-year-olds are expected to start onsitein2016,whenthemajorphaseofrefurbishmentwillbecomplete.

Theplanswillseethecavernousoldengineeringrighallasafocalpointofthecampus,withsomeinternalequipment,suchastheoverheadcrane,broughtbacktolifeforpracticalstudenttraining.Solarpanelswillbeinstalledonthefaçadewhileotherfacilities,includingasuiteofweldingworkshops,willalsobegivenafaceliftinorder to be re-used.

Forthecollege,theopportunitytotrainfutureengineersandtechniciansinarealisticworkplaceenvironmentisamajorbenefit-recreatingsuchfacilitiesfrom scratchwouldhavebeenprohibitivelyexpensive.

Thecampuswillprovideawide-rangingcurriculum up to post-doctoral level, includingconstruction,mechanicalandelectricalengineering.ManyofthecourseswillbedesignedtomeetthespecificneedsofemployersintheregionwhichwillbeahubfortheUK’snuclearrenaissanceas the construction of nearby Hinkley C gainsmomentum.Afurtherfocuswillbeonsustainableskillsandrenewabletechnologies.

TheCollegehassecured£12millionofGovernmentfundingforthefirstphaseofthe anticipated £40 million development. Thisincludesfundsfortwospecificprojects:asmall-scalerenewableenergyresearch centre, plus a facility for the delivery of cyber security education and training,bothrunincollaborationwiththeUniversityofGloucestershire.

Atleast£5millionisalsobeinginvestedbytheCollege,whichiscurrentlyawaitingadecisiononitsapplicationtodevelopa£14millionUniversityTechnicalCollegespecialisingintraining14-19year-oldsinadvancedmanufacturingand cyber security skills. Much of the developmentworkhasbeensupportedby Gloucestershire’s Local Enterprise Partnership,Gfirst.

Photographs: Top, an artist’s impression of the converted engineering hall, shown, right, in its current condition during an event for local employers

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Pioneering centre to train future engineersDecommissioned land adjacent to the Berkeley site is set to be transformed into a pioneering further education campus focused on science and engineering.

Site restoration

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Background

TheoldBerkeleyCentrewasdeveloped separately to the neighbouringpowerstation,occupyingaroundonethirdoftheoverall site footprint, and dedicated toresearchforthewholeoftheUK’selectricity supply industry over many decades.Itslaboratorieswereonceamongthemostadvancedscientificresearchcentresintheworld.

Thewiderangeoffacilitiesincludedoffices,warehouses,laboratories,engineeringworkshops,acafeandconference centre. Many of the buildings,somedatingfromthe1960s,hadnoradiologicaluse,whileothersincludedradiochemistrylaboratoriesandwastefacilitieswhichweredemolishedafteradecades-longdecommissioningandclean-upprogramme.

BerkeleyPowerStationceasedgeneratingelectricityin1989andisintheprocessofbeingdecommissioned.ItstwinreactorsweretheUK’sfirsttobeclosedandplaced in the passive Safestore state wheretheywillremainuntilthesite is completely cleared in around 60 years time.

“This is tremendous news for the region and for the thousands of young people who will benefit from the education, training and research which will be undertaken at the site.”KevinHamblin,PrincipalandChiefExecutiveofSGSCollege

Waste management

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Barry ponders life after the pondsBarry Reynold’s 41-year career has been centred around the fuel storage ponds at Harwell’s historic DIDO and PLUTO reactors.Andwhenthedecommissionedfacilitiesfinallyclosed,itseemedfittingforBarrytobidanemotionalfarewellandheadoffinto retirement.

“MyfirstjobwhenIjoinedin1974asa19-year-oldindustrialworkerwasonthemaintenanceandcleaningoftheponds,andthe‘cropping’ofthefuelelements,”Barryremembers.“Andmyworkhasbeenassociatedwiththeminonewayoranothereversince.”

Builtin1957,thetwotank-likeconstructionstogethercontainedsome937cubicmetresofdemineralisedwater,whichprovidedshieldingandcoolingfor the spent fuel elements that had been removed from reactors. The ponds becamenon-operationalin1990whenthereactorsclosedandthefuelwasremoved.

Duringthe1990s,thelargerofthepondswasusedbyacommercialtenantto store cobalt and caesium sources,

forthemedicalfieldandforindustrialsterilisation.

Decommissioningbeganin2011withtheremovalofequipmentand‘furniture’,resultinginmetalpackagesoflowlevelwaste(LLW)whichwilleventuallybesmelteddownandreused.

Thedrainingofbothpondsbeganin2012andwascompletedinMarch2014,withtheliquidwastedischargedtoatank,beforebeingdispatchedtothesite’sLiquidEffluentTreatmentPlant.

BarryworkedshiftsontheDIDOandPLUTOreactorsfor10yearsandthen,in the mid-1980s, found himself back at oftheponds,nowasbuildingmanager.AfteraspellatanotherHarwellreactor,GLEEP, he returned to the ponds and, in one of his last roles before retirement, wasresponsiblefortheirclean-up,drainingandre-categorisation.

“Lookingback,IcantrulysayIhaveenjoyedeverysinglemomentofmytime

atHarwell,”Barrysaid.“Ihadmanywonderfulexperiences,metsomegreatpeopleandforthatreason,whenIthinkaboutit,IcanhonestlysaythatHarwellhas made me the person I am today. Thankyou.”

Photographs: Top, DIDO and PLUTO were, for many years, the key focus for Barry, above

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Less waste equals more space‘Less’ has proved to be ‘more’ for the Low Level Waste Repository site in west Cumbria.

Justover200ISO-freightcontainersweresent to the Repository for disposal in 2013/14–downfrommorethan300theprevious year.

It’safarcryfromthedayswhen700containersperannumwerearrivingonthesite,nearDrigg.

Achievedduringaperiodofincreasedwastegeneration,thesteepdownwardtrajectoryofdisposalsisamarkofsuccessfor LLW Repository Ltd, the Site Licence Company.

Thesitehastransformedfromawastedisposalfacilityjustsevenyearsago,receivingwasteatanunsustainablerateandcausingacapacityshortageforthe national nuclear industry, to a fully integratedwastemanagementfacilitytoday.

“LLWRepositoryLtdhaschangeddramaticallythewaylowlevelwasteismanagedintheUK,”saidDennisThompson,ManagingDirector.

“The business has almost doubled in size andthenuclearindustrynowhasafullrangeofviableandcost-effectiveoptionstoreduceandrecycleitsnuclearwastes.”

CustomersareencouragedtoapplytheWasteManagementHierarchy–Avoid,Reduce, Reuse, Recycle or Treat – and disposeofthewasteattheRepositoryasalast resort.

Waste diversion saved the nuclear estate more than £67 million in 2013/14.

LLW Repository’s Waste Service Delivery teamworksdirectlywithcustomersandsuppliers to provide a suite of re-use and recyclingservices.

Thecompanyisnowmid-waythroughitssecondfive-yeartermofa17-yearcontract,anditsobjectivesfocusonimplementationoftheNationalLLWStrategy.

ThiswasdevelopedbytheNDA,inconjunctionwithLLWRepositoryLtd,andapprovedbytheUKGovernmentin2010.

Thecompany’sNationalProgrammeOfficeteamworkswithalltheplayersintheindustry,includingregulators,consignors,wastegeneratorsandthesupplychain,toimplementtheUKStrategy.

AndLLWRepositoryLtdshowsnosignoflosingmomentum.

Itislookingtoembedtheuseofthenewwastetreatmentroutesitpioneeredinitsfirstterm.

Additional vaults are also planned and ambitiousgoalshavebeensettocleanupthelegacyPlutoniumContaminatedMaterials on site.

Italsowantstomovequicklytowardlong-term closure of the seven trenches onsite,wherehistoricallylowlevelwastewastumble-tipped,aswellasthe speciallyengineeredVault8,whichiscloseto capacity.

"IamproudofwhattheLLWRhasaccomplished in a relatively short period of time,”Dennissaid.

“Today it is a very different company, capable of much more than anyone could haveimaginedjustfiveyearsago.Wearenowbusytransformingourselvesagain;wemustensurethatwearereadytoruntomorrow'sRepository."

Photograph: Above, a container of waste arrives at the Port of Workington, to be taken by rail to the Repository

*TheDepartmentofEnergyandClimateChange(DECC)recentlylauncheditsconsultationonanupdateoftheUKStrategyfortheManagementofSolidLowLevelWastefromtheNuclearIndustry.Theconsultation,whichcloseson21April,isintendedtoensurethatthestrategyremainsfitforpurpose,reflectingchangesintheindustry.SeetheGovernmentwebsitewww.gov.ukfordetails.

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Nuclear materials

Control room finally switched offThe main control room at Sizewell A has fallen silent for the first time in more than half a century. Hometoanarrayofbuttons,switchesanddialscontrollingtheformerpowerstation,the control room kept the site’s heart beating24hoursadayaftergenerationbeganin1966.Electricityproductionstopped in 2006.

StevePybus,whohasworkedinthefacility for more than 20 years, said: “A significantperiodofmylife,andthatofmycolleagues,hasbeenspentoperatingthe station from here. People often say itresemblessomethinglikethestarshipEnterprise, and coincidentally Star Trek wasfirstbroadcastinthesameyearthatgenerationatSizewellbegan.Itisasad

and historic moment to see it empty, but a lotofworkhasbeenundertakentoprepareforthismoment.”

Closureofthecontrolroomwilleventuallyleadtotheareabeingdismantledandispartoftheprogrammetopreparefordecommissioning,followingregulatoryagreementthatthesiteisnowfuelfree.

Confirmationthatthe52,000fuelelementshave left the site means that 99% of the radioactive hazard has been removed. The finalflaskwasdespatchedtoSellafieldlastsummerandwasfollowedbyarigorousverificationprocesstoenabletheconfirmationoffuel-freestatus.

Site Director Tim Watkins added: “While this is the end of an era, it is very much a signthatdecommissioningisstartingtotakeshape.MagnoxisleadingthewayatcleaningupthisfirstgenerationofreactorsintheUKandwewillbeapplyingallofthelessonswehavelearnedatothersitestosafelymoveSizewellAtoitsclosurepointwhiledeliveringbestvalueforthetaxpayer.”

Photograph: Below, Sizwell's control room has reached the end of its life

Watch as turbine hall tumblesThe gradual demolition of the turbine hall at Dungeness A is being broadcast live on the Magnox website. Worktodismantlethe26-metrehighstructurebeganinJanuaryand,subjecttoweatherconditions,isduetobecomplete at the end of March.

Site Director Paul Wilkinson said: “This isaveryvisiblesignofourprogress.Thousandsofpeoplehaveeitherworkedintheturbinehallorlivedalongsideitinour local community over the years, so wewantedtogivethemtheopportunitytowitnessthefinalpartofthejourneyforthis part of the site. I hope lots of people taketheopportunitytoseetheworkasittakesplace.”

The turbine hall housed four turbo-generatorsrunningat1,500revsperminute to turn steam into electricity for

40yearsuntilthesiteendedgeneration in 2006.

Thisfinaldemolitionmarkstheculminationofathree-yearprogrammeofwork,whichwasoriginallyscheduledtotake12yearsbutwasacceleratedthanks to an additional £12.8 million of fundingfromtheNDA.Theadditionalfundsweremadeavailablethroughestate-wideefficiencysavingsandre-prioritisationofotherwork.

David Batters, NDA Chief Finance Officer,added:“ThisisanexcellentexampleofwhattheNDAwassetuptodeliver:accelerateddecommissioningprogressthataltersthelocalskylineandsaves money for the taxpayer. My thanks

andcongratulationsgototheMagnoxteamatDungenessAfortheirhardworkinmakingithappen.”

Thedemolitionisbeingcapturedbywebcam,withanupdatetotheimageeveryfewminutes.Watchat: www.magnoxsites.co.uk

Photograph: Above, the turbine hall is taken to pieces

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Site restoration

Contractor: Erith

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Partofthehigh-tech£10millioninstallationincludesahouseholdcanopener,costingjust£15,thatisabletocutthelidsoff oldfuelcontainerswithoutleaving jaggededges.

Thelow-costinnovationispartofanapproach at Dounreay that focuses onadaptingexistingoff-the-shelftechnology,wherepossible,asamorecost-effectivealternativetodesigningaconceptfromscratch.Engineersfromthesite’sprojectteamfoundthesolutionatanironmongers’inThurso.

NigelLowe,NDA’sHeadofProgrammeatDounreay,said:"Useofstandardtechnologysuchasasimplecanopenerisagreatexampleofapplyinginnovative,creativethoughtprocessestonuclearclean-upwork,securingsavingsontherequirementtodevelopapurpose-builttool."

FollowingassemblyandcomprehensivetestingatthepremisesofRedhallEngineering,nearBristol,theshieldedgloveboxeswillbetransportednorthandre-assembledatDounreay.Theywillbe used to unpack, characterise, treat and repack unirradiated fuels currently

stored,inweldedcontainers,atlocationsaround the site.

Thehigh-techfuelfacilitywillenableoperatorstomanipulatethefuelthroughaseriesofprocesseswhileavoidingdirectcontactwithit.

UnirradiatedfuelformspartofthelegacyfromearlyresearchatDounreayintomoreefficientwaysofgeneratingelectricity from fast breeder reactors. Muchofthematerialhasbeeninstoragefor more than 30 years, since the Government halted the fast breederprogramme.

Simplicity of low-cost technology can inspire the smoothest finishA multi-million pound suite of bespoke gloveboxes is being assembled in Bristol to support the transfer of historic nuclear material from Dounreay to Sellafield.

Thecontractforthegloveboxes,designedbyAECOM,alsobringstogethersuppliersfromacrosstheUKwiththeengineeringskillstomeettheexactingstandardsofthenuclearindustry.

Commissioningofthegloveboxesisexpectedtotakesixmonthsand,subjecttoregulatoryagreementfromtheOfficeforNuclearRegulation,operationsareexpected to last for three years.

Nigeladded:"Thesiteisbeingdismantledandisheadingtowardsclosureoverthecomingdecades,and

theDounreayworkforceisskilledinmanagingextremelycomplexprojects:theUnirradiatedFuelsCharacterisationFacilityistestamenttothis.”

Thenuclearmaterialbegantoleavethesitein2012followingtheGovernmentdecision to consolidate the fuel inventory atSellafield.

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Contractors: AECOM,RedhallEngineering,JGCEngineering,GowsLybster,JohnGunn&Sons, MM Miller, Nuvia, Jacobs and Arch Henderson & Partners.

“NDA’s programme to consolidate the historic nuclear material is an important one and we are pleased to see innovative and low-cost approaches being used.”RichardWestlake,Director,NuclearResilienceandAssurance,DepartmentofEnergy andClimateChange

Photographs: At a tour of the Bristol premises, Dounreay apprentice Caitlin Harvey shows the can opener to Site Stakeholder Group Chair David Flear and Richard Westlake, from the Department of Energy and Climate Change Far left, the gloveboxes will be dismantled and re-assembled at Dounreay.

©NuclearDecommissioningAuthority2015.Someimagesappearcourtesyofsitelicencecompanies.EveryeffortistakentoensuretheaccuracyofmaterialorimagesproducedorusedbytheNDA.However,theNDAcannotguaranteethattheimagesshownwillalwaysbecurrent,accurateorcompleteanddoesnotwarrantorendorsetheaccuracyorcompletenessoftheimages.03/152k

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Final shipment completes historic contractThe final shipment of foreign waste from Dounreay to Belgium marks the completion of a historic fuel contract.The1990scontractbetweentheUKAtomicEnergyAuthority,Dounreay’sformeroperator,andSCK/CENofBelgiuminthe1990scommittedtheScottishsitetoreprocessingspent test reactor fuel from abroad, followingtheclosureofthefast reactorresearchprogramme.

TheoperatorsofBelgium’sBR2,whichcarries out materials research and produces isotopes for nuclear medicine, sent a total of 240 spent fuel elements to Dounreay.

Thefuelwasdissolved,withre-usableuraniumseparatedfromthewaste“fissionproducts”andturnedintonewfuel.Thehigheractivityliquidwastewasconditionedandsolidifiedincementinside 500-litre stainless steel drums at theDounreayCementationPlant(DCP)in 2009.

Part of the Dounreay site closure programmeinvolvesclosingthehistoriccontractsandreturningthewastetocustomers,wherefeasible,underthetermsofthereprocessingcontracts.

Preparationstoreturnthewastestartedin1995,requiringsignificantworkfrom2008untilthefirstshipmentin August2012.

TheDounreayteamoffuelandwastespecialists, radioactive materials transportofficers,engineersandtheDCPmanagementworkedhandinhandwithSCK-CEN,theBelgianAuthoritiesand transport company Transnubel toestablishthearrangementsandauthorisations, and demonstrate compliancewiththestringentBelgianconditionsofacceptanceforthewaste.

For each of the 21 shipments, the drums wereretrievedfromtheshieldedDCP

wastestoresandinspectedremotelybytheBelgianauthoritiesintheImportExportFacility(IEF).

TwoshieldedflaskswerepurchasedbySCK-CEN,designedspecificallyforthetask,whileDCPengineersensuredtheflaskloading/exportprocesswasabletoautomatically position the drums in the flaskswithpin-pointaccuracy.

Specialistdriversweresub-contractedbytheBelgianstotransporttheflaskstothe ship.

The 21st shipment in December completed the repatriation of the 123 drumsofwaste.

Photograph: Above, Dounreay staff celebrate the final shipment from site