Sellafield Ltd

Once a nuclear facility has completed its operational life it then moves into;

Post Operational Clean Out, where the radioactive material inventory and residual hazards are removed using existing equipment in the building. If facilities are not decommissioned straight away, either to allow radioactive materials to decay, because of interfacing projects or facilities, or financial viability, they are placed into care and maintenance and undergo routine surveillance until decommissioning starts.

The waste characterisation phase defines the types of waste materials that are present, the appropriate disposal route, and the method that can be used for the dismantling and demolition phases. Decommissioning and dismantling involves either manual or robotic removal of all process plant and equipment and the radiological decontamination of the structure as far as possible.

Standard industry demolition techniques are then used and can either be mechanical or, if the structure and location allows, explosive. The land is then remediated for whatever future use is determined for the site.