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Hazard reduction project completed at Calder
The final container of lagging material from Calder Hall heat exchangers has been successfully despatched from Sellafield for disposal at Lillyhall landfill site.
This achievement marks the completion of a four-year project to remove asbestos lagging from the heat exchangers, turbine halls and associated plant.
Calder Hall was built to provide the national grid with electricity and came to the end of its working career in 2003 following 50 years of service. During operations, heat generated through the heat exchangers ensured the asbestos lagging was kept in a stable condition. Once operations ceased, the material could not be kept dry reducing its stability. It was important that the asbestos was managed in a safe and environmentally responsible manner and the logical decision was made to remove it.
The joint project between Calder Projects and Hertel asbestos contractors to remove the asbestos lagging began in 2006 and was completed in March 2010.
In parallel, a strategy to ‘bulk exempt’ the material, led by Charles Mason, head of Waste Technical was developed. Working in partnership, the Calder project team, Facilities Characterisation and Waste teams produced and underpinned a case for exemption in accordance with the Nuclear Industry Code of Practice for Clearance and Exemption.
Following regulator approval, all hazardous waste, classified as Radioactive Substances Act (RSA) exempt material has been successfully disposed of to landfill, culminating in one of the largest `bulk exemption’ cases in the United Kingdom.
An accumulation of effort by WAMAC transport team, Sellafield transport department and Neales Waste lead to the despatch of 1,757 tonnes of asbestos and 208 tonnes of calcium silicate lagging material within 212 full height shipping containers and 136 roll on/off skips packaged and transferred to landfill site.
Charles said: “This has been a prime example of drawing together expertise from Sellafield Ltd and the supply chain to develop an innovative approach.
“A number of significant challenges were placed by the Environment Agency which were met through extensive analysis undertaken by Facilities Characterisation.
“Implementation of the established approach has then been safely and efficiently delivered by the Calder Hall asbestos removal project team, Hertel, Calder Waste team and Sellafield Transport, working with the landfill operator.
Overall this has resulted in more than 160,000 bags of hazardous material being safely removed and disposed of without requiring all the bags to be individually characterised, or an asbestos treatment route to be developed. My thanks go out to all the teams involved.”
