ISSUE 1 2009 INSIGHT into nuclear decommissioning

Meet our new man at the helm Page 3

Decommissioning in action Page 8 - 9

Dealing with the past. Protecting the future. 1 Contents A snapshot of what we do The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is a 3 Efficiency will be the key non-departmental public body established in 2005. 4 Keeping costs down

5 Europe’s most complex site Demolition of the cooling towers at 6 Nuclear gems in the making Chapelcross Power Station 7 Cutting-edge lasers 8 ILW store opens its door 9 Sizewell defuels 9 Chapelcross savings 10 Support for communities 11 Archive owes debt to Eric 12 Competition for key Scottish site 13 Managing radioactive waste safely

14 A look at Low Level Waste We are responsible for 19 sites built plants at , the low-level 16 Greener future for nuclear industry in the post-war days of the UK’s early waste repository, the five nuclear programme, which now need to sites that are being defuelled and the be cleaned up and restored for public two remaining generating stations use. at Oldbury and Wylfa. Others are at various stages of the decommissioning Put simply, our job is to decommission and clean-up process. these nuclear facilities and ensure that Welcome to the first all the waste products, both radioactive We do not have a hands-on role in and non-radioactive, are safely cleaning up our facilities. Under the edition of Insight, managed. This will reduce the risks for criteria laid down by Parliament, these a new magazine our own generation and for the future. functions are contracted out to our Site Licence Companies (SLCs) at about the NDA’s It is the largest, most important each site. Our SLCs are responsible environmental clean-up programme in for developing individual site plans work in dealing with Europe, a mission that is immensely and are in turn managed by Parent the legacy of the technical and challenging. Body Organisations (PBOs), appointed through our competition process. UK’s old nuclear Our top priorities are safety, security, environmental responsibility and PBOs provide world-class management facilities. providing value for taxpayers’ money. expertise to each SLC for the specified length of the contract we The UK was one of the forerunners in have negotiated with them. The site Our aim is to give a brief taste developing nuclear energy after the workforces remain unchanged, but the of ongoing activities around Second World War, but most of the leadership team will be guided by the research was expended on cutting- PBO. our 19 sites as well as an edge experimental facilities designed to insight into how we operate. generate electricity. Decommissioning The NDA provides expert nuclear never came to mind. advice to Government and strategic Much of the information is direction for the sites, sets targets and also available on our website, One of our first, but crucial, tasks has manages the contracts to achieve been to establish the real scale of the efficiency, value for money and but we believe our mission is nuclear legacy and develop, for the first delivery. We also manage the inevitable vitally important and should time, a strategy for dealing with it. fluctuations in expenditure and income.

be shared with as many Our plans, by necessity, look 120 years Our budget is set by the Department individuals and organisations ahead to take account of the slow for Energy and Climate Change and decay in radioactivity. But in reality we HM Treasury. It is a combination of as possible. We would be focus on the short to medium term, government funding and income from pleased to hear your views on maintaining operations, reducing the our commercial assets. highest hazards and moving forward on Insight and to take on board decommissioning. Our HQ is in West Cumbria and any suggestions for improving we employ 350 full-time equivalent The NDA’s expertise in delivering its people, while there are 18,500 people the content or format. programme is also seen as increasingly employed directly across the sites vital to the success of the UK’s nuclear and many more employed by sub- Please send your comments to new build programme. contractors. [email protected] Large parts of our estate are still 2 operational, such as the reprocessing New Chief Executive

after completing post-graduate studies at Oxford, and remained there until his recent move to the NDA.

His induction into the nuclear sector began with a taste of the clean-up challenges at Chapelcross power station in the Scottish borders.

After a guided tour of the heat exchanger asbestos-removal project and a look at defuelling in action, he voiced approval for the culture of safety and the professionalism of the site’s workforce. He was also struck by the sheer scale of the decommissioning challenge and the painstaking attention to detail at every stage.

A few weeks into the post, he is full of praise for the NDA’s personnel as being highly motivated, talented and well qualified but notes that bureaucratic procedures can hamper efficiency.

“It’s a cliché, I suppose, to say it’s rather bureaucratic, perhaps because the organisation is highly regulated, perhaps because it’s a public sector body, perhaps also because it’s full of engineers - and engineers just love process. I do believe it can be freed up a bit … what I call simplified wiring.”

“I would like to see the good people we have do their jobs, and for decisions to Efficiency will be the key be made at an individual level rather than layers of committee decision-making.” Tony Fountain’s NDA looks set to be a more The Chapelcross tour was followed by a streamlined operation, with time and energy freed up visit to Sellafield, acknowledged to be one to concentrate on the fundamental priority of dealing of Europe’s most hazardous sites and “an extraordinary challenge”. with the nuclear legacy. Although impressed by the progress Describing his approach as “simplified expenditure. Against this backdrop, my being made on cleaning up the ponds wiring”, the new Chief Executive wants overall thrust is to focus on ensuring and silos, he felt there was room for to reduce bureaucracy and address the the whole estate improves its levels of greater efficiency. “The tough challenge financial squeeze that faces the entire efficiency and execution.” is about priority spending – you don’t public sector. necessarily get 100p in the £ at The NDA’s clean-up mission, he believes, Sellafield,” he mused. “My desire is to put our work in the is very clear. “I’m impressed by just how context of the extreme pressure on clear it is.” Important secondary aims are Tony is based at Herdus House in funding – the most extreme in many, to secure the best return from existing Cumbria and is aiming to buy a property many years. At this early stage, I think assets and make a positive difference in Cockermouth, but will retain his the key priorities must be to ensure in the communities that host the nuclear home in Sussex, where his 15-year old we increase the proportion of spend facilities. daughter is based. on the core mission, and reduce the amount spent on support activities and Tony has many years of experience Cumbria is a region he knows and ISSUE 1 2009 overheads,” he said. in the oil and gas industry and will be loves, having spent many a leisure break bringing an outsider’s objectivity to nuclear walking the fells or sailing the lakes. A “We need to ensure our planning is decommissioning. As a student, his passionate horse-rider, it looks like he will closely related to the Government’s strengths lay in mathematics and science, have precious little time in the months INSIGHT - Public Value Programme, to create a set and he chose economics because of ahead to indulge any interest other than of options that would be implemented its slant towards the commercial and nuclear. if we were required to make cuts in international political world. He moved to BP 3 Business Optimisation

The four sites are among 10 UK locations nominated for new nuclear power stations.

Meanwhile, the NDA is in advanced discussions with Westinghouse over a deal for the Springfields fuel manufacturing plant near Preston. This would provide excellent value for money for the taxpayer while also providing Westinghouse and the Springfields’ workforce with the opportunity to develop future business opportunities.

At the heart of these discussions is the proposal to transfer responsibility for the commercial business and staff from NDA to Westinghouse, together with a Surplus land around Wylfa Power Station has been sold long lease. This will provide NDA with an income stream and Westinghouse with Keeping costs down the freedom to invest in the site. NDA Commercial Director John Clarke Decommissioning old nuclear facilities is an expensive added: “The NDA has enjoyed a successful five-year relationship with operation, as the headlines often proclaim, and Westinghouse as the Management & although the NDA receives Government funding for Operations contractor for Springfields. Their long-term understanding of the its core mission, it is also required to seek maximum site, together with their experience as a nuclear fuel vendor, makes value from existing assets. Westinghouse a good partner to exploit the potential of the site. The Business optimisation is therefore a key and non-nuclear sectors - the NDA was NDA will work hard to ensure this great activity, generating income that can help able to announce an initial sale of land commercial opportunity that could to underpin the costs of clean-up while around three sites. Given the difficulty of provide continued employment and offsetting the demands on the taxpayer. putting an accurate valuation on the land, a long-term platform for increased it was decided to use an online auction investment is a success.” The NDA focused on its which would ensure a transparent and decommissioning strategy and major competitive process for the bidders. NDA also owns a diverse range of stock-take in the early years of its properties that lie outside the nuclear existence, but has now also turned its The auction began in March 2009, licensed sites and include office space, attention to the process of selling surplus concluding successfully at the end of housing, sports fields, a quarry and pockets of land, as well as increasing April. A consortium of EON UK Plc nature reserves. NDA Properties Ltd was the revenue from the property portfolio and RWE bought land at Wylfa transferred to NDA from BNFL and has inherited from BNFL. and Oldbury, while EDF bought land at assets worth around £15 million together Bradwell. The Wylfa sale was conducted with a rental income of £2.5 million. Much of this unused land surrounds jointly with EDF who also owned land existing nuclear sites and was once around the Anglesey site. tentatively earmarked, back in the mists of time, for nuclear expansion proposals The process raised up to £387 million for that did not materialise, or simply as NDA which will be helpful in the current buffer space with potential for other uses. economic climate. Sites announcement The Government has recently Following the Government’s renewed Project Manager Sam Hounslow said: “It announced the final list of potential commitment to nuclear power, however, was difficult to gauge the potential level new build sites this autumn after the surplus land acquired the potential to of interest in the land, and the value that assessing each location against attract greater levels of interest. might be realised, so the auction proved a list of criteria that range from to be an excellent way to proceed. We environmental considerations to In March 2008, the NDA launched a were delighted with the response.” flooding issues and access to cooling market-testing exercise to assess the water. level of interest in a range of assets Now, also sold is a tranche of surplus which included land adjacent to its sites, land around Sellafield. Following Once the site list is finalised, the uranium-derived materials and its fuel expressions of interest the land was land-owners will be wholly responsible manufacturing plant near Preston. sold to a consortium of Iberdrola SA, for drawing up plans for new nuclear GdF, Suez SA and Scottish & Southern power stations and taking them Six months later, following a series of Energy plc. This sale will ultimately result through the planning process, both at meetings with organisations that had in proceeds of up to £70 million for the local authority and Government level. 4 expressed interest - from both nuclear taxpayer. Legacy challenge

Sellafield – the most complex nuclear site in Europe The Sellafield site in West Cumbria is widely acknowledged as having the most significant challenges for the UK nuclear clean-up mission.

In the first of a series of articles, we provide an overview of current activities, while future articles will look in detail at specific operations and projects to build a full picture of the most complex nuclear site in Europe.

Sellafield is the NDA’s largest site, occupying 262 hectares, and incorporates the former separate sites of Windscale and Calder Hall. Packed within this area are a large number of diverse plants that share services and infrastructure. This presents logistical challenges for the operators, Sellafield Ltd, as they tackle the decommissioning agenda.

The main activities focus on high hazard reduction, the management of high and In addition to the legacy ponds and silos, plant takes evaporated highly active intermediate level waste and spent fuel, the Sellafield team is decommissioning liquor from reprocessing operations and decommissioning and clean-up and land the Windscale Pile reactors. Pile converts it into a solid glass form which remediation. one was damaged by fire in 1957 is then stored on site. An effluent and and presents a unique challenge. encapsulation plant treats and packages Reducing the risk from the highest Meanwhile decommissioning of the intermediate level solid and liquid wastes. hazards, many of which go back to the iconic Windscale Advanced Gas Cooled This waste is then placed in interim early days of the UK nuclear industry, is Reactor is well advanced. storage on the site, awaiting long-term a priority. deep geological disposal. Spent fuel management is an important These historic facilities were not built part of the site’s operations. A number With the commitment of a skilled with decommissioning in mind, and can of plants carry out reprocessing and fuel and multi-disciplined workforce, the require novel uses of existing technology manufacturing, with interim waste stores challenging programme of work is or the development of new technologies. supporting waste management activities. progressing and the impact of the The Site’s Thermal Oxide Reprocessing new Executive Team is beginning to Decommissioning the Legacy Ponds Plant (THORP), operational since 1994, show. With a new Lifetime Plan being and Silos is one such area, constructed separates spent nuclear fuel which has put together and a real focus on high in the 1950s-60s to store waste material been used in reactors. The majority of hazard reduction and efficient operations, from early reactor and reprocessing plant spent fuel, 97%, can be recycled to expectations are high on delivering operations. These ageing facilities need produce new fuel which means waste is significant progress over the next few to be appropriately maintained so that minimised. The MOX, or Sellafield Mixed years. waste material can be safely retrieved. Oxide Plant, and Magnox reprocessing New facilities are being constructed to operations are also part of the spent fuel allow retrieval, treatment and packaging management portfolio. of this waste material which will then be placed in interim storage prior to final Dealing with the site’s waste inventory is disposal. key to successful management of the nuclear legacy. The Sellafield Vitrification 5 Research

Stored waste containers Nuclear gems in the making The first DIAMOND conference has been a resounding success, according to the NDA’s Dr Melanie Brownridge.

Melanie, Head of Research and last several years, and to operate on opportunity to see at first hand the Development, made the opening a multi-disciplinary basis, rather than designs of her distant relative and speech at the inaugural two-day event focusing on a narrow range of nuclear- engineering genius Sir Nigel Gresley, in the National Railway Museum,York, related subjects. designer of the Flying Scotsman and which was attended by around 120 the Mallard. delegates, including postgraduate Melanie said: “The benefit for the students, academic supervisors, students was to begin to see the Further information: industry representatives and regulators. context of their work which is very www.diamondconsortium.org specialised, and to allow them to The aim was to allow the academics to understand how important their work is share aspects of their highly specialised to the industry.” research with industry leaders, while providing an industrial and commercial The event was funded by the context for the students. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, with sponsors DIAMOND (Decommissioning, including the NDA, Sellafield Ltd, Immobilisation And Management National Nuclear Lab, Amec, Tessella, Of Nuclear Waste For Disposal) is a UKAEA, ParticlesCIC and Nuclear consortium of six universities led by Technologies plc. Professor Simon Biggs at the . The consortium includes Melanie and NDA Research Manager representatives from the University Darrell Morris joined Bruce Hanson of Manchester, University College (NNL) and David Lever (Serco) on London, Imperial College London, the judging panels for the Best Loughborough University and University Oral Presentation and Best Poster of Sheffield, and was formed in Presentation from the students. Claire is congratulated by Melanie response to a call for proposals in the field of nuclear waste management by Sunny Phuah from Imperial College the Engineering and Physical Sciences and Claire Thorpe from the University of Research Council. Leeds each received a £250 prize from the NDA, presented by Melanie. DIAMOND’s unique approach is to begin the dialogue at a much earlier One final point of interest for Dr 6 stage of the doctoral projects, which Brownridge (nee Gresley) was the Innovation

Lasers ready for trial Cutting-edge lasers are now ready for demonstration in the nuclear decommissioning process.

Cambridge-based materials engineering specialist TWI Ltd won a £1 million contract to demonstrate the effectiveness of lasers in removing contaminated concrete surfaces and cutting up metal pipework.

The company has now procured and commissioned a single laser system that can address both these applications. The first six months of the project were spent in design and build of the system, which includes the concrete scabbling head equipped with an on-line debris collection system and the integrated vision system which can automatically track the concrete surface. Laser in action The equipment was developed in response to an NDA project to encourage innovative technologies To aid TWI with the process trials, This project will demonstrate the from the supply chain in support of the Sellafield Ltd have supplied an capabilities of lasers for surface removal decommissioning mission. assortment of steel tubes, and some of contaminated concrete and size- concrete samples, while other aged reduction of vessels and pipework. If TWI Project Manager Paul Hilton pre-cast concrete samples have been successful, lasers could be effectively said: “After quite an intense period of provided by Manchester University. deployed in situations that are too specifying, sourcing, designing, and hazardous or inaccessible for standard manufacturing, the system has now Interest in the project from the SLCs is people-led teams. come together and the eagerly awaited already high, while National Geographic’s process trials have begun on tube video division has made contact with The project has its own public cutting.” TWI about a possible TV programme on website, www.twi.co.uk/laserdemo, the techniques being developed. and, beginning in 2010, will feature demonstration workshops, training The NDA’s Head of Research and sessions, company visits and one- Development, Dr Melanie Brownridge to-one expert assistance, in order said: to maximise the full potential of this innovative project. “We are committed to investing in innovation and the development of a vibrant supply chain. The application of laser technologies from other industries offers the opportunity to secure and develop good practice for NDA’s mission and beyond – and we are delighted with the developments so far.”

Contaminated concrete and pipework represent major decommissioning challenges in terms of the large volumes of material to be treated, radiation levels and the number of facilities affected. Cutting head 7 Waste storage

The Trawsfynydd ILW store Protection for fuel in transit

Spent nuclear fuel has been transported by rail since the 1960s, travelling more than seven million miles without any incident involving the release of radioactivity.

The fuel is transported in a heavily shielded purpose-built flask. Constructed from forged steel more than 30cm thick, each flask weighs more than 50 tonnes and holds no more than 2.5 tonnes of fuel.

The flasks must undergo a series of demanding tests to demonstrate they would withstand a very severe transport accident.

ILW store opens its door Trawsfynydd recently celebrated a decommissioning milestone when its new Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) Store was officially opened.

The £20 million store, the first to be The store, which can hold up to 368 Packages will be received and completed on a Magnox site, was concrete ‘overpacks’ and 2,444 drums inspected before being dispatched to an delivered on time and without a single containing ILW, provides a controlled and appropriate storage area using a series lost-time accident. Construction started secure environment for the waste, which of cranes and remote handling devices. in 2006 and was completed in 2008. will be held until the long-term Geological Disposal Facility becomes available. 99% of the radioactive hazard was Guest of honour Lord Dafydd Elis- removed from site in 1995 when the Thomas, the Welsh Assembly’s Located in the Snowdonia National last of the spent fuel was despatched Presiding Officer, cut the ribbon while Park, the store is architect-designed and to Sellafield for reprocessing. 43% guests watched. The first packages are clad in local slate, as well as meeting all of Trawsfynydd’s radioactive waste now in place after being transferred from the requirements for storing radioactive volume – which accounts for 67% of their interim storage location. waste. the radioactivity remaining on site - has already been packaged and is ready to be transferred into the store.

Fuel and waste disposal and removes 99% of radioactive buildings, until a Geological Disposal material from a plant. Sellafield is the Facility becomes available. Used fuel and waste from nuclear only site that stores the high level waste power stations has varying levels of reprocessing product. Low Level Waste (LLW) is produced by radioactivity. the nuclear sector but also by non- Components surrounding the fuels, nuclear sources such as hospitals, The Magnox fuel used to generate such as casings, springs and other universities and the pharmaceutical electricity is highly radioactive and is pieces of debris, are less radioactive. industries. Made up of a wide range sent to Sellafield for reprocessing into These are generally characterised as of materials including plastic, sludge, its component parts, namely uranium, Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) and paper, tissue, clothing, metal and plutonium and a small amount of form much larger storage volumes building rubble, it is disposed of at the concentrated high level waste. than the fuel (due to their low packing UK’s Low Level Waste Repository near density) but are less radioactive. ILW the village of Drigg in Cumbria. However, before being transferred off is highly varied in form, from large solid site, the used fuel is usually moved waste items to wet sludges. Waste with an extremely low level of into a pond containing chemically radioactivity, known as Very Low Level modified water where it is left to cool, All the UK’s ILW will be stored above Waste (VLLW), can be segregated for a minimum of 180 days. Defuelling ground on an interim basis, in safe and safely accepted in conventional is usually the first step in the process containers and specially constructed landfill sites with the relevant regulatory 8 of decommissioning a power station approvals and environmental permits. Defuelling

Removal of fuel from one of the reactors

Sizewell Asbestos: millions saved Defuelling has now Work to reduce a major asbestos safely storing all the asbestos waste hazard at the Chapelcross site at Chapelcross until it was feasible to started at Sizewell A, is ahead of schedule, while an undertake a single ‘supercompaction’ with four flasks so far innovative approach to analysing the campaign at Sellafield before material could save up to £49 million. transferral for final disposal at the LLW dispatched to Sellafield. Repository. Once electricity generation stopped The programme will continue for the in 2004 and the site’s 16 heat The NDA’s Site Programme Manager next three years until all the fuel, which exchangers cooled down, the at Chapelcross, Keith Riding, said: “I is currently stored safely in Sizewell’s asbestos cladding began to absorb applaud the team’s constant drive for twin reactors, has been transported up water, becoming heavy. When chunks improvement, which has produced to Cumbria for processing. were dislodged, it became essential enormous benefit in terms of hazard to strip the cladding off entirely. reduction, and I welcome the cost Reactor One is now 6.89% defuelled, savings.” with 24,646 elements remaining, while The project, launched 18 months Reactor One is 1.75% defuelled, with ago, is believed to be the largest Following completion of the protective 26,012 elements remaining. The flasks asbestos removal in Europe. weather-proof structure six weeks despatched contained 564 elements Asbestos lagging is also being ahead of schedule, teams at in total, weighing 17.07 tonnes removed from the turbine hall, in all Chapelcross saw an opportunity unpackaged. around 3,300 tonnes. to carry out a further radiological characterisation exercise, challenging Based on known site conditions, The start of defuelling is a key phase conventional practice. it was calculated that most of the in the decommissioning plan, and its asbestos would be contaminated with This assessment confirmed that a eventual completion, planned for 2012, low levels of radioactivity, requiring significant amount of the asbestos will represent a huge milestone for the treatment and disposal at the UK’s was far less contaminated than site. Low Level Waste Repository near originally calculated, which could be Drigg in Cumbria. Waste disposal ‘free-released’ and disposed of as Defuelling was expected to start costs were initially estimated to be special waste in licensed landfill sites. following the end of generation in around £50 million. December 2006, however, challenges Three heat exchangers are now at the Sellafield processing plant led to The first step was to put in place completely free of asbestos and fewer flasks being available. Generating some protection from the weather, the work is one month ahead of sites are given priority and therefore creating a safe working environment schedule. Sizewell’s defuelling has been delayed. for the team, and to analyse the asbestos. The weather-proof This innovative approach has resulted During its 40-year operational lifetime, structure required 1,600 tonnes in a significant hazard reduction and more than 3,000 fuel flasks were of scaffolding and is designed to minimisation of the amount of waste dispatched to Sellafield from Sizewell withstand strong winds. sent to the LLWR, whilst waste A. It will take approximately 310 flasks disposal costs could be reduced to clear the inventory of fuel present on In consultation with Sellafield Site to around £1 million as the project the site. and the Low Level Waste Repository, continues for the remaining four years. the team came up with the option of 9 Socio-economic

The marina at Wick Harbour

Support offsets the impact of nuclear decline When the NDA was formed, a key concern raised by communities was the potential economic impact from the eventual closure of nuclear facilities that once employed thousands of people, often in remote parts of the UK.

Learning lessons from the unplanned The NDA works with a range of partner plans to provide infrastructure for the 1980s coal industry restructuring, which organisations to ensure projects are able emerging marine energy industry and had left behind a range of social and to attract match funding, meet its criteria bring a further 300 jobs to the area over economic problems, the Government’s and will deliver economic benefits. the next 10 years. 2004 Energy Act charged the NDA with playing a full role in helping to address One of the major projects completed so The NDA has also provided £5 million the local impacts of decommissioning. far is the installation of a marina facility of funding towards the £20 million skills, at Wick Harbour, which was opened training and education facility at Lillyhall With the benefit of time to plan, the NDA by the Princess Royal in September in West Cumbria, another priority area. has drawn up a policy that sets out and has generated £45,000 of revenue ENERGUS, recently opened by Ed the priorities and criteria that guide its since opening in late summer. The NDA Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy decision-making. provided funds for a feasibility study and and Climate Change, will be a flagship further funds for the project itself, totalling academy for the National Skills Academy The NDA currently has provision in its more than £400,000. for Nuclear. budget to spend up to £10 million a year on projects that support the economic Wick Harbour’s long-term development Other schemes receiving funding regeneration of areas affected by plan includes a breakwater that will include: tourism initiatives in Caithness, decommissioning activities. create a deep water port to attract the a prospective business park near oil and gas businesses working in the Annan, maritime festival in Whitehaven, Funded by efficiency savings, support North Sea. regeneration and business start-ups in has been provided to a range of projects South Copeland and entrepreneurship targeting four priority areas where the The project has the potential to create support in Wales. closure of NDA facilities is likely to up to 200 jobs in an isolated part of have the greatest impact: Caithness Scotland that will be affected by the Details of a range of programmes in and North Sutherland, West Cumbria, decommissioning of the NDA’s Dounreay North Wales, as well as other areas, will Anglesey and Meirionnydd and the facility. The NDA is also working with be announced over the coming months. Gretna-Lockerbie-Annan corridor in Scrabster Harbour Trust to support their 10 Dumfries and Galloway. History

Pictorial archive owes debt to Eric A fascinating collection of old images is being painstakingly preserved thanks to the dedication of long-serving Harwell photographer Eric Jenkins.

The moving films and grainy photos, dating from the end of World War II when the UK first began research into developing nuclear power, tell the story of how scientists tested prototype reactors and pushed the boundaries of knowledge. The more up-to-date images, now in full colour, show how those same reactors are being decommissioned and buildings demolished.

One unique visual story includes the installation of graphite into Europe’s first reactor GLEEP (Graphite Low Energy Experimental Pile), built in 1946, and its final moments 60 years later. GLEEP was used for initial investigations into how to make a reactor work and later as an international standard for materials testing and calibration.

Eric started work as a 16-year-old lab technician at the Harwell research site in 1959, but his passion for photography gradually nudged him in a different direction. Eric’s archive is now a valuable national asset

Now a full-time professional “It effectively started because I didn’t like It has been a labour of love over many photographer with 50 years experience, to see photographs or film being thrown years but the collection is now an he has an extensive knowledge of the away. I always felt they should be kept important national archive that contains nuclear story and many of the images in as a record,” he said. more than one million still images and the collection are his own work. unique footage of the UK’s nuclear He has worked tirelessly to transfer roll heritage. Without Eric, much of it could As facilities were taken out of service, after roll of old film into more modern have been lost forever. or moved from one site to another, Eric formats and ensure old photographs was often a lone voice in trying to ensure are scanned and electronically archived. Plans are currently being developed the visual records didn’t end up in a skip Computer and recording equipment for the creation of the UK’s first national along with the rest of the office waste. from down the decades are dotted nuclear archive at Wick in the far north of around his office, allowing him to ensure Scotland. even the most antiquated material is accessible to modern technology. Subject to funding, this would involve moving Eric’s image library to Wick. Much work remains to be done – Eric’s It is envisaged that the archive would memory is sometimes the only catalogue bring together material from across the of half-remembered events or long-gone UK and be available for researchers, facilities, but he aims to ensure that academics, businesses and other everything is gradually transferred to an interested parties or individuals. electronic equivalent. Eric aims to stay on long enough to His solitary crusade has evolved into a ensure a smooth transition for all the systematic project to archive the material visual material kept at Harwell, where it and maintain comprehensive records, is managed for the NDA by UKAEA. The working with Sue Connell and Chris team, meanwhile, is still seeking items Holmes. for conservation, so if you know of any material that might be of interest, please get in touch on: 01235 434499.

The GLEEP reactor 11 Encouraging competition Cillit Bang will do the trick

Nuclear sites across Britain are Competition showing interest in the discovery by Dounreay workers that plutonium stains can be removed by a £1.99 for key household cleaning product. A decommissioning team found the Scottish site usual industrial cleaning fluid was slowing down work to dismantle an An open competition experimental chemical plant used in to find a new Parent the 1980s to recycle plutonium liquor – and that Cillit Bang appeared to be Body Organisation for more effective. the Dounreay site is now One of the team suggested Cillit Bang officially under way. after watching a TV advert where it was shown to strip grime from a 2p Dounreay coin. Managers ordered tests and the The NDA’s ownership of Dounreay The new PBO will take ownership (via product is now playing a key role in remains unchanged, while day-to- share transfer) of the DSRL SLC for the keeping on the track the clean-out day operations will continue to be duration of the contract. and demolition of the plant, a test-bed the responsibility of the Site Licence for the giant THORP reprocessing Company, Dounreay Site Restoration Its goal will be to provide the vision plant at Sellafield. Ltd (DSRL). The existing skilled for achieving the site’s mission. Key workforce will also remain in place. personnel will be seconded to form The nuclear site in Cumbria is among the SLC’s senior leadership team, those who have been in touch with The competition relates solely to the driving to attain best value for money Dounreay to learn more about the Parent Body Organisation that owns the while maintaining mandatory standards discovery. shares in the Site Licence Company of safety, security and environmental David Manson, project manager with (SLC). performance. Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd, says it is a good example of innovation Competition is central to the NDA’s Once the contract and procurement driving down the £2.6 billion cost of strategy. As part of a statutory duty to strategies have been finalised, a demolishing the site. secure value for money, and promote two-part industry event will be held competition and best practice, the NDA in Caithness and then Glasgow or The experimental chemical plant was competes the Parent Body role to own Edinburgh in the first half of 2010. one of many built at Dounreay during shares in each SLC. For Dounreay, the 20th century to research more the current Parent Body Organisation The event will inform all of those efficient ways of generating electricity is UKAEA, which has recently been interested about the overall aim and from plutonium. acquired by Babcock International scope of the contract, the more A £9 million project to clean out and Group PLC (Babcock). detailed timetable and the process to dismantle the laboratory is now well be followed. underway. The official Dounreay competition launch was marked by the publication Last year, the Sellafield PBO was “We need to decontaminate as much of a Prior Information Notice in the subject to competition and the contract of the surfaces as possible before we Official Journal of the European Union awarded to Nuclear Management can cut them up,” explained David (OJEU). Partners, a specially created consortium Manson. of URS’ Washington Division, AMEC “The normal decontamination agents Graeme Rankin, the competition project and AREVA NC. we’d use on steel and glass need manager, said: “Since the publication time to dry and this slowed us down. of the Prior Information Notice, which The process, involving one of the The acids that had been used years marked the much-awaited official start UK’s largest and most complex public ago also created problems. It meant of the competition, the team has been procurement programmes, took two we had to think carefully about talking to potential bidders. years to complete. the most effective way to wipe the plutonium from the steelwork before “This has been extremely useful in The Sellafield agreement is initially for we could cut it up.” understanding bidders’ views, and a period of five years with the potential these will inform the development of of further extensions, subject to Members of the 15-strong clean-up contract and procurement strategies performance, to a total of 17 years. The team wear whole-body plastic suits going forward. The NDA remains Management & Operations Contract with their own oxygen supply and committed to securing the best offers business initially to the value of often need 4 or 5 layers of gloves to possible PBO for the Dounreay site.” around £1.3 billion per annum with protect them from radiation. associated fee of approximately £50 They are now using Cillit Bang to The competition will be administered million per annum, subject to the clean out the ancillary plant, such as openly and transparently, in accordance specified level of improved performance ventilation ducts. with European Union procurement and efficiency of Sellafield Ltd being 12 guidelines. met. Managing waste

Long search for a more permanent solution The Government has launched a search for the final home of our higher activity radioactive wastes. They are asking communities across the country to talk to them about potentially hosting what will be called the ‘Geological Disposal Facility’.

Diagram shows how the GDF might be constructed

This is the start of a long process, to the next stage with Government, and resolved as far as reasonably anticipated to take several decades. during which a range of geological and practicable.” Around 70% of the radioactive waste engineering research would be carried is already stored at Sellafield in West out to see if West Cumbria is suitable. Elizabeth said both Government and Cumbria. The three Councils from NDA would welcome the opportunity to Allerdale, Copeland and Cumbria County As well as organising communications talk to any groups who are interested in have therefore started the early stages of to all households in West Cumbria, the the Managing Radioactive Waste Safety this conversation with Government. Partnership holds its meetings in public, process. and will be organising additional open The Councils are keen to have their meetings. Find out more at By Rhuari Bennett of 3KQ discussions informed by a wide range www.westcumbriamrws.org.uk of community interests, so they have set up a Partnership to advise them: the Elizabeth Atherton, Head of Stakeholder West Cumbria Managing Radioactive & Community Engagement at NDA’s Waste Safely Partnership. Radioactive Waste Management Directorate, said: “Together with The Partnership is an advisory body Government we act as an observing aiming to ‘make recommendations to member of the West Cumbria MRWS the Councils on whether they should Partnership. We attend the partnership participate or not in the geological meetings to provide information disposal facility siting process, without and support. This includes ensuring commitment to eventually host a facility’. that questions and concerns about the geological disposal facility siting Effectively the Partnership is considering process, construction, operation, whether West Cumbria should proceed closure and post-closure are addressed 13 Managing waste

Working towards the best solutions The NDA’s work on decommissioning and environmental restoration inevitably generates waste, but until 2007, the Government Radioactive Waste Policy did not fully address large volume waste arisings.

As a result, the Government and Handover of a new concrete slab that will devolved administrations consulted on be used to store containers and published a revised policy for Solid Low Level Waste (LLW) in 2007.

One of the policy requirements was to give the NDA responsibility for producing a UK Nuclear Industry LLW strategy – the first of its kind. The NDA produced the draft strategy in June this year, which went out for consultation in summer.

At present, most of the UK’s solid low level radioactive waste from the nuclear industry is disposed of at the national Low Level Waste Repository (LLWR) near Drigg, Cumbria.

The continued availability of a disposal • best use of existing assets which will The services will be provided through the route for LLW is considered vital by both help to extend the life of the LLWR supply chain, however, using the LLWR the nuclear industry and non-nuclear as a hub has the potential for generating industry LLW producers. The Repository • new fit-for-purpose waste efficiencies of scale and as an expansion has been in use since 1959 and the management routes of an existing route should prove easier existing vaults are now close to capacity. for waste managers to start using as The NDA is looking to the waste soon as they are available. More space is being constructed right management supply chain to take a role now and there are plans for expansion. in implementing the strategy. Given its Consultation But even with all this extra capacity maturity and expert capabilities, it is in a (potentially to extend the site to 700,000 position to take up this role as the majority The consultation on the draft strategy, cubic metres subject to planning and of waste management solutions that are regulatory approvals), there will still be which opened in June 2009, is required to implement this strategy are or continuing and gives members of the a significant shortfall compared with will be available. Close working between the amount of waste forecast to be public a chance to comment on the the supply chain and the nuclear estate proposals. generated over the long term (3,000,000 will ensure a successful strategy. cubic metres over 120 years). The responses received so far have The best use of existing assets focuses already highlighted some key points for This means that the remaining capacity on the role of the UK LLW Repository, must be carefully managed. Waste consideration regarding alternative waste setting approaches to ensure the treatment and disposal sites. These will generation must be minimised overall and optimised use of the facility for those unavoidable waste dealt with in the most now be reviewed in detail and used to wastes where disposal cannot be further refine the strategy. appropriate manner. avoided. The strategy looks at ways of reducing Michael Calloway, the NDA’s Head of In practice, this will mean ensuring that Low Level Waste, said: “The comments the amount of waste generated and the repository is only used for waste needing disposal through the principles will help us to produce the best possible that requires the level of safety, security solution for effectively managing the UK’s (known as the waste hierarchy) of and environmental protection offered by prevention, reduction, reuse, recycling solid low level radioactive waste now and vaulted disposal at LLWR - for example for the future.” and waste treatment. This will preserve making sure that the site capacity is not this important national asset and reduce used for Very Low Level Waste (VLLW). or defer the need for an additional national There are also opportunities to improve facility in the future. the packaging of LLW for disposal and also how waste is transported to and The proposed strategy comprises three from sites. strategic themes: A key action in the strategy includes • application of the waste management widening the service provision at the hierarchy to avoid and minimise LLWR to include waste treatment as well waste generation, and ensure waste as disposal. is managed in a risk-based, fit-for- purpose manner 14 Aerial view of the Repository

High in volume but low generated in England and Wales each be sent to landfill sites with the relevant in radioactivity year. With a tonne of waste roughly the authorisations. same as one cubic metre of waste, LLW is equivalent to just 0.0075% of Other forms of low level waste can also Solid LLW has been produced by conventional waste arisings. be sent to special landfill sites subject to both the nuclear (power generation, a detailed assessment of the radiological decommissioning of nuclear sites and The Government’s 2007 policy included impact and authorisation from regulators. maintenance of the UK nuclear deterrent) a revised approach for disposal options, and non-nuclear (universities, hospitals, allowing some material with lower levels All waste disposal sites must secure pharmaceutical industry, etc) sectors of radioactivity to be sent to landfill. In planning permission via local regulatory since the 1920s. LLW is made up of a the case of small volumes of very low procedures which are subject to wide range of materials, including plastic, level waste, this can be disposed of at consultation with interested parties, paper, tissue, clothing, wood, metal and ordinary landfill sites or incinerated. Such including members of the public. building rubble. waste, likely to include material from hospitals or universities, contains little total The policy sets out a new framework for It makes up approximately 90% of the radioactivity and can be safely treated more flexible management of solid low total volume of the UK’s radioactive alongside household, commercial and level radioactive waste taking account waste – but contains less than 0.0003% industrial waste. of the diverse physical, chemical and of the radioactivity. Predicted volumes of radiological nature of LLW and the LLW average at approximately 25,000 Bulk volumes are more likely to be in the increasing volumes arising from large- cubic metres per year. To put this into form of contaminated demolition waste scale decommissioning and nuclear site some context, 335 million tonnes of and soil from the nuclear industry, along conventional (non-radioactive) waste are restoration in the UK. with other general wastes, and must 15 Sustainability

Greener future for nuclear industry The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and the Environment Agency are encouraging senior executives through the nuclear industry to become ‘Environmental Leaders’.

The two organisations jointly hosted the They also looked at how to incorporate minimising the impact we have on it as a Environmental Leadership conference environmental best practice into result of our day-to-day operations. in Manchester with the aim of sharing business processes and sustainable best practice for environmental issues design, as well as the NDA and “Sharing experiences across the industry throughout the nuclear industry. Environment Agency expectations of the is an excellent way to learn from one nuclear industry. another – achieving better results in a A range of senior executives from shorter space of time. the nuclear industry attended the The NDA’s Environment Manager, conference, including representatives Andrew Craze, said: “Decommissioning ‘”This event showed how we can all from SLCs throughout the NDA estate. is about restoring and improving the demonstrate our commitment to the environment, so it makes sense that environment through our actions, as During the day, delegates considered environmental leadership is an essential well as how much can be achieved by the attributes of environmental part of the process. leaders who have a clear vision for what leadership, and what a company needs their organisations can do to safeguard to do to lead the environmental agenda. “As an industry we need to make sure the environment and take bold action to we are achieving the best possible make this a reality.” result for the environment, as well as

Decommissioning is about environmental restoration

© Nuclear Decommissioning Authority 2009. All images remain the copyright of NDA, some images supplied as courtesy of British Nuclear Group, Atomic Energy Authority and Magnox. 16 Every effort is taken to ensure the accuracy of material or images produced or used by the NDA. However, the NDA cannot guarantee that the images shown will always be current, accurate or complete and does not warrant or endorse the accuracy or completeness of the images.