Briefing Paper: Decommissioning
The UK has one of the world’s most challenging, but most advanced nuclear decommissioning programmes. Dounreay Thurso, Caithness The Magnox fleet, now retired, helped keep the lights Key - Site License Company (SLC) on for over 50 years. This fleet was once fundamental to the country’s economic wellbeing, but is now in the process of being decommissioned by the
Hunterston A Power Station Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). West KilbrIde, Ayrshire Since the NDA’s inception in 2005, the UK has developed a detailed understanding of the legacy and produced the first ever, UK-wide Key - Site License Company (SLC) strategy for tackling the UK’s 17 civil nuclear sites – prioritising the Chapelcross Power Station Annan, Dumfriesshire highest hazards and making substantial progress in reducing hazards and risks across the UK.
This paper looks at achievements made since the 1950s, the current Sella eld situation, challenges that need tackling and priorities for the future. Seascale, Cumbria
Low Level Waste Repository (LLWR) Spring elds PLANNED EXPENDITURE Near Drigg, Cumbria Near Preston, Lancashire £3.2 billion for the 2016 -17 financial year
£3 billion onsite expenditure Wylfa Power Station Cemaes, Anglesey £200 million on non-site expenditure incl.skills development, socio- economic, research and development costs and NDA operating costs Capenhurst Sizewell A Power Station Capenhurst, Cheshire Near Leiston, Suffolk FUNDING Trawsfynydd Power Station Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd Funding for the UK’s decommissioning programme is from a combination of income from commercial activities and grant in aid Bradwell Power Station Southminster, Essex from the UK Government and allocated through the Spending Review. Berkeley Power Station Berkeley, Gloucestershire Grant in aid from UK Government £2.25 billion in 2016 -17
COMMERCIAL INCOME Oldbury Power Station £0.9 billion is forecast to be generated in 2016-17 Thornbury, Gloucestershire £778 million – reprocessing and fuel management £9 million – generation (Wylfa) Harwell Harwell, Oxfordshire £118 million – INS Transport Hinkley Point A Power Station £44 million – cross-site services Bridgwater, Somerset
Dungeness A Power Station Winfrith Romney Marsh, Kent Winfrith Newburgh, Dorset DECOMMISSIONING IN THE PAST Sellafield Operational since the 1940s, Sellafield has more than 1,000 facilities, the most diverse portfolio and complex decommissioning challenge of anywhere in the world. Site activities include reprocessing, radioactive waste management and storage. It hosts Calder Hall, the world’s first nuclear power station to generate electricity on an industrial scale.
Magnox sites Magnox was a UK designed reactor which operated for 50 years. It was fundamental to the country’s economic wellbeing and helped keep the lights on for decades. The first was opened in Calder Hall in 1956 – made up of four reactors able to produce 60MWe of power each. In addition the Harwell and Winfrith research sites housed experimental reactors of the UK’s expanding research programme in the 1950s and 60s.
DECOMMISSIONING IN THE PRESENT
In the last 12 months much progress has been made in decommissioning across the UK. The NDA finalised the new management model for Sellafield, and the overall cost figure for completing the NDA’s mission over the next century has shown a slight decrease. It is also investing in training with the establishment of a National College for Nuclear in Cumbria and a new training facility for the Civil Nuclear Constabulary. NDA Site Licenses Sites Site License Company (SLC) Owner of SLC
Berkeley; Bradwell; Magnox Ltd Parent Body Organisation (PBO): Chapelcross; Dungeness Cavendish Fluor Partnership Ltd - A; Harwell; Hinkley Point Contract awarded September 2014 A; Hunterston; Oldbury; Sizewell A; Trawsfynydd; Winfrith; Wylfa
Low Level Waste LLWR Ltd PBO: UK Nuclear Waste Management Repository (LLWR) Ltd (URS, Studsvik, Areva, with Serco as an affiliate) - Contract awarded 2008 (renewed in 2013)
Dounreay Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd PBO: Cavendish Dounreay Partnership Ltd(Cavendish Nuclear, CH2M Hill, URS) - Contract awarded 2012
Sellafield Sellafield Ltd, a wholly owned Nuclear Decommissioning Authority subsidiary of NDA from 1 April 2016
Springfields Operated by Springfields Fuels Westinghouse Electric UK Limited Limited under the management of Westinghouse Electric UK Limited
Capenhurst Operated by Capenhurst Nuclear URENCO UK Limited Services, a URENCO Group company
Sellafield Sellafield’s safety achievements in the last three years are the sites best on record and it undertook 1,323 emergency drills and exercises in 2015. Sellafield has made some of the most significant strides in its decommissioning programme in the last 12 months. The entire bulk stocks of historic nuclear fuel from the Pile Fuel Storage Pond has been removed, reducing radioactivity levels at the 68-year-old pond by 70%. The very first radioactive sludge was removed from the legacy First Generation Magnox Storage Pond, a huge step forward in the UK’s nuclear decommissioning programme. By 2020 the site will finish reprocessing and move into full scale clean-up.
Across the rest of the UK The NDA, working with UKTI has helped around 30 UK businesses, including SMEs, to secure work in the global market Bradwell has become the first Magnox site to empty and decontaminate all of its underground waste storage vaults ready for the care and maintenance phase. With the vaults empty, a total area of 972m² - the equivalent of five tennis courts - has now been decontaminated to a level where it can be left for care and maintenance. Completed Oldbury defueling, removing 99% of the site’s radioactive hazard. Following the successful clearance of intermediate level waste from Bunker 5, on the Hunterston A site, another bunker has been emptied of its hazardous contents, six weeks ahead of schedule. More than 650 tonnes of radioactive waste was lifted out of the bunkers before being packed into specially engineered stainless steel boxes with 23 fewer boxes used than originally projected, saving money for the taxpayer. Diverted 89% of material from the Low Level Waste Repository by using alternative treatments such as recycling, combustion and licenced landfill, saving money for the taxpayer, compared to only 5% in 2009.
DECOMMISSIONING IN THE FUTURE
There is no quick fix to dealing with The UK has a responsibility to remove As more power stations cease the UK’s historic nuclear legacy, it the hazards in the quickest possible generating, progressive plans need is a programme crossing multiple timeframe, looking at all options to be in place to continue tackling generations and administrations. to speed up this process, including this ever growing part of the the use of innovative technologies, nuclear industry cost effectively, implementing a geological disposal safely and efficiently. facility (GDF) and plutonium management options.
Priorities Safely deliver and accelerate decommissioning of the legacy ponds and silos at Sellafield. Continue to deliver the national Low Level Waste strategy and maximise the use of alternative routes to treat and dispose of waste. Complete defueling throughout the entire Magnox reactor fleet. Pass on fundamental skills and expertise to future generations. Deliver a solution that manages the UK’s plutonium stockpile providing a low carbon energy source at best value to the UK taxpayer. The safe and secure delivery of radiological legacy materials known as ‘exotics’ from Dounreay to Sellafield for treatment, packaging and storage.
Next 10 - 20 years All Magnox sites to enter Care and Maintenance - a passively safe and secure state.
Progress on high hazard reduction, including retrievals from Legacy Ponds and Silos at Sellafield.
Complete all reprocessing contracts at Sellafield.
Decommissioning to be completed at the Harwell and Winfrith sites.
All ‘exotic’ material removed from Dounreay and transported to Sellafield for long term management.
Reach an agreement with a local community to host the site of a Geological Disposal Facility.
A plutonium disposition solution has been constructed and is operational. — magnoxsites.com Limited Magnox — sellafieldsites.com; Limited Sellafield of courtesey Images
Nuclear Industry Association is a company limited by guarantee registered in England No. 2804518. Registered Office:th 5 Floor, Tower House, 10 Southampton Street, London WC2E 7HA NIAUK.ORG