Corporate report

Case studies: Site Decommissioning and Remediation strategic theme

Updated 2 October 2023

Overview

Our strategy defines our approach to decommissioning redundant facilities and managing land quality in order that each site can be released for its next planned use.

After the buildings on our sites have been decommissioned, decontaminated and dismantled the land will be cleaned up to allow it to be released for other uses. At that point, its ownership would transfer to a new user of the land. The NDA is currently assessing alternatives for the final stages of decommissioning that could lead to earlier release of land, continued employment or opportunities to reuse the land.

Our site decommissioning and remediation work is separated into eight strategic outcomes that we must deliver, outlined below.

Operational and planned
Group key target	Activity	2023 % complete	Sellafield	Magnox	Dounreay	NWS	NTS	Capenhurst	Springfields
40	All planned new buildings operational	TBD	X	X	X	X		X
41	All buildings primary function completed	39	X	X	X	X		X
Decommissioning and demolition
42	All buildings decommissioned	22	X	X	X	X		X
43	All buildings demolished or reused	21	X	X	X	X		X
Sites
44	All land delicensed or relicensed	9		X	X	X
45	All land in End State - all planned physical work complete	43	X	X	X	X		X	X
46	All land demonstrated as suitable for reuse	9	X	X	X	X		X	X
47	All land dedesignated or reused	9	X	X	X	X		X

Robot goes underground at Dounreay - Summary

A robot designed with help from Dounreay has been used to safely inspect hazardous environments such as ventilation ducts and feedback radiological information. Human access to these areas is currently impossible due to size and radiological risks. The robot, named Lyra, was designed following a three-year collaboration between the decommissioning team from Dounreay’s Fuel Cycle Area, a consortium of universities and knowledge transfer experts and was listed in Time magazine’s top 200 innovations of 2022.

Robot goes underground at Dounreay

For more information

Dounreay’s robotic collaboration recognised by Time Magazine - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

An illustration of progress in decommissioning at Trawsfynydd

Important change is coming for Magnox’s Trawsfynydd site, following a decision to adopt a strategy of continuous reactor dismantling. It will create a significant opportunity to share decommissioning learning and see some major skyline change over the next few years.

Concept development work to underpin this change has now been completed focusing on developing outline technical solutions to the key challenges associated with the dismantling programme, principally reactor dismantling.

An illustration of progress in decommissioning at Trawsfynydd

Case study

The decommissioning strategy for the Trawsfynydd site in North Wales has changed from one of deferral to continuous reactor dismantling. This means significant decommissioning activity taking place at the site over the next few years, resulting in major skyline change.

Concept development work to underpin this strategic change has now been completed focussing on developing outline technical solutions to the key challenges associated with the dismantling programme, principally reactor dismantling.

Reactor dismantling on this scale represents a genuine first of a kind project for the UK.

The next key development steps for the programme are to:

• progress the conceptual designs to a more detailed level

• deliver a programme of characterisation works that will reduce technical uncertainty

• further develop radioactive waste strategy options and routes for reactor wastes; and

• develop the commercial options and framework within which the overall programme will be delivered.

This development work will be used to inform a business case for the overall delivery of continuous reactor dismantling and site clearance at Trawsfynydd. This case is planned to be delivered in 2026-27 and will also form part of the wider Magnox adoption of a mixture of site specific strategies for dismantling, leading to a rolling programme of dismantling as we progress through the Magnox fleet.

In parallel with this development work, project delivery will continue on the site to remove redundant legacy facilities. This will include the radioactive pond complex and also making safe the condition of the reactor building exterior through a process of controlled demolition.

Construction and demolition waste recycled - Summary

The NDA group is committed to delivering its mission sustainably. At Magnox, a massive 93 per cent of what it produces was recycled last year. That’s enough demolition waste to fill 542 double decker buses and enough metal to make almost 60 million new drink cans.

Construction and demolition waste recycled

For more information

Recycling our way to a cleaner future - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)