Studsvik Metal Recycling Facility

Studsvik Metal Recycling Facility
StUdSviK metaL recycLing faciLity
The Studsvik MRF will serve the UK’s nuclear industry, including those sites now being decommissioned under the control of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). To meet the Government’s decommissioning targets, new facilities - such as the Studsvik MRF - need to be operated to provide alternative methods for managing waste materials that will be removed during the decommissioning process.
The Studsvik MRF will safely recycle large quantities of valuable scrap metal and also help to ensure that the amount of low level waste that is sent for disposal to the national Low Level Waste Repository, near Drigg in Cumbria, is kept to a minimum. This is a key step in implementing the UK low level waste policy and waste hierarchy for the management of radioactive waste. The Studsvik MRF is the first new nuclear licensed site in the UK for twenty years, and has full planning permission for waste treatment.
Studsvik is investing in radioactive waste facilities which will provide waste producers with an economic and sustainable alternative to disposal. The Studsvik Metal Recycling Facility (MRF), at Studsvik’s own nuclear licensed site at Lillyhall in Cumbria, is scheduled to open by the end of 2008. The facility, the first of its kind in the country, will be able to offer a full recycling service for low level radioactive metallic wastes arising from operational and decommissioning programmes. The service will allow waste producers to save disposal costs, accelerate their own programmes and enable full compliance with UK Waste Policy, including implementing the “waste hierarchy” and the Best Practicable Environmental Option for metallic waste management.
Our target is to decontaminate and
recycle 95 % of the metallic waste
What will we do there? The site will process metallic wastes contaminated with low levels of radioactivity. The waste will be brought to the site by road in specially designed, and fully certified, transport containers of similar appearance to normal industrial shipping containers. Road movements will be kept to a minimum. The transport containers to be used will be certified and tested to ensure that their contents are always contained during transport or storage. To process the materials on site, the containers will be moved by forklift truck and either docked onto the side of the Studsvik MRF to be unloaded, or brought inside the building. A range of industrial cutting and decontamination techniques will process the scrap metal inside the plant.
The materials will be decontaminated using techniques such as dry grit blasting in automated blasting chambers. An automated high force compaction machine will also be used in the MRF. All of these processes will be operated by trained operators supported by specialist radiation monitoring personnel. Furthermore, the resulting materials will be cleaned metal which will either be recycled in the UK, or potentially sent to our facility in Sweden for further treatment by metal melting. Overall, it is expected that the process will reduce the volume of incoming waste needing to be sent for disposal by 95%, making
significant savings on disposal costs and minimising the volumes of waste requiring disposal.
What are the next steps? We received our nuclear site license in February 2008. It is our intention to commence construction work in spring 2008, which we envisage will take around 9 months to complete. The site will be aesthetically improved and developed. During the development phase of the Studsvik MRF, the buildings and outside areas will be improved, modified and refitted. Part of the current building will be extended and new equipment installed. The site boundary fence will be reinforced and a security lodge will also be constructed. Rare rush pasture habitat surrounding the MRF will be sensitively managed under the guidance of Cumbria Wildlife Trust, of which Studsvik UK is a corporate member.
Working in the local community Studsvik UK is committed to an open and transparent approach in all its activities in the area. As a local employer we value the support of the local community and wish to assist projects that enhance the sporting, cultural, educational and environmental quality of life in Allerdale and West Cumbria. Studsvik has already been involved in several charitable and community projects and plans to support several new ventures over the coming year.
High Force
For more information on the
Studsvik MRF please contact Kevin Wilkinson Waste Processing Manager T: 0191 482 1744 E: [email protected]
facilitating waste producers to comply
with the waste hierarchy”
reducing Lifecycle costs Studsvik will reduce waste management and decommissioning lifetime costs by:
Reducing costs by providing an economic alternative to disposal costs Reducing the quantities of waste for disposal saving ongoing operational costs and deferring capital expenditure on disposal capacity expansion Allowing other waste management and decommissioning programmes to be brought forward by unblocking the bottleneck of LLW disposal, and freeing up other NDA funds.
recycling for the environment The environmental and social drivers for recycling waste, rather than direct disposal, are strong. From our everyday household process of recycling newspapers and glass, to the challenges of resource and energy usage, external pressure to recycle wastes is increasing. There are however three enablers which must be in place for people and organisations to consign their wastes for recycling:
1. Economic – recycling must be economically attractive for consigners to recycle
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3. Confidence – consigners must have confidence that their waste will be recycled effectively, efficiently and with minimal environmental impact
The Studsvik MRF will provide an economically advantageous alternative to disposal, and Studsvik will work together with consigners to provide a simple, efficient and straightforward process for consigners to follow.
assurance: improving data and information quality Assurance is the highest priority for Studsvik. Studsvik will ensure the highest levels of safety, quality and assurance at the Studsvik MRF through:
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transport and treatment of low radioactive metallic waste, and Studsvik UK has an outstanding safety record Within the UK, Studsvik has transported and treated hundreds of tonnes of waste without regulatory incident; Studsvik has the following assurance accreditations:
- ISO 90012000; - ISO 14001:2004; - OHSAS 18001:1999. - Nuclear Site License
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Studsvik - Leading metals recycling Studsvik has over 25 years experience internationally and is a market leader in nuclear waste management and materials recycling.
Studsvik has sold 15000 tonnes of exempt metal to the free release scrap market, saving ~£35 million in true disposal costs.
Studsvik operates waste materials treatment facilities in Sweden, USA and from 2008 in the UK.
innovation through experience Studsvik is applying robust technologies internationally and in the UK. Applying these robust technologies will be in many cases, innovative for the UK. However, Studsvik’s international experience gives confidence on their effective use.
Studsvik has built flexibility into the facilities to be able to deal with larger pieces of waste.
Studsvik UK Ltd Head office Unit 14, Princes Park, 4th Avenue Team Valley Trading Estate Gateshead, Tyne & Wear NE11 0NF T: +44 (0) 191 482 17 44
F: +44 (0) 191 482 17 47
Sellafield office Site 5, Compound 9 c/o BNFL Sellafield Seascale, Cumbria CA20 1PG T: +44 (0) 1946 721 276
F: +44 (0) 1946 721 899
Aldermaston office 3B Achilles House Calleva Park,Aldermaston Berkshire RG7 8RN T: +44 (0) 1189 812 519
F: +44 (0) 1189 816 609
Preston office Ribble House, Meanygate Bamber Bridge Lancashire PR5 6UP T: +44 (0) 1772 646 880
F: +44 (0) 1772 646 899
Warrington office Unit Y10, The Genesis Centre Warrington Road Warrington WA3 7BH T: +44 (0) 1925 853 882
F: +44 (0) 1925 828 648
Printed on 100% Recycled Paperwww.studsvik.com/uk

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Studsvik Metal Recycling Facility