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Progress on Sellafield Legacy Ponds Project
Extending support rails over one of Sellafield's legacy ponds is a significant step toward removing the remaining waste inventory from the storage pond using a Sludge Retrieval Machine (SRM).
At the same time, engineered platforms and staircases to improve human access were installed. All work was completed without incident, with British Nuclear Group overcoming significant challenges from high radiation levels and the precision required for mobile crane operations in one of Sellafields most sensitive areas.
The completion of work to extend the rails now allows the SRM to access the ponds western sub-chambers. Removing the remaining sludge from the pond is a full scale trial for the more challenging task of de-sludging other ponds on site.
Over 180 cubic metres of sludge has already been successfully pumped from the pond in the past, a massive achievement especially when taking the ponds age and challenging radiological conditions into account.
With the decommissioning of higher hazard nuclear facilities - a key priority for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority - the ability to empty the pond is a major step forward in the clean-up process. Chris Cunningham, Project Manager, said: This will ultimately be the first open-air pond at Sellafield to be fully decommissioned and remediated. Our latest achievement illustrates the skill, experience and dedication of everyone involved with the project and proves that we are the team to safely manage and deliver the clean-up of this historic pond.
