Sellafield

1
Sellafield
2
Best Practicable Options Workshops

• Treatment of Low Level Wastes at Sellafield

Date 22nd January 2008
3
Waste treatment

• Sellafield Ltd has dedicated significant
  resources to all areas of waste management for
  reduction in the risks posed by legacy facilities
  and wastes at the Sellafield site.
• One area of significant progress has been in
  identifying possible treatment and recycle
  options for many of the low level radioactive
  waste streams.

4
Where we are
Development
Framing
Evidence
Issues Identification and Exploration
Draft Strategy and Project Deployment
Scoping and Process Design
Technical Analysis
BPO Report Best Practice Commercial Issues
Asbestos Waste Workshop This Meeting
Sellafield LLW Symposium December 2006
5
Best practicable option

• To determine the Best Practicable Options for the
  treatment of Sellafields waste stocks and
  arisings that are consistent with-
• UK Government Policy
• Strategy of the UK Nuclear Decommissioning
  Authority (NDA)
• UK EU Regulatory Requirements and Guidance
• International Best-Practice

6
Relevant factors to be considered in this

• Environmental Impact Health Safety
• Nuclear Security
• Cost Schedule
• Technical Efficacy
• Socio-economics
• Public Acceptance
• Uncertainty

7
Waste hierarchy
8
Programme flow sheet
9
The scope of the challenge at Sellafield

• Oil 250m3 at Sellafield, 100m3 at Calder Hall
• Metals 200,000 tonnes ferrous, 6,000 tonnes
  Lead and 0.7 tonnes Mercury
• Process waste typically 7,000m3 per annum
  generated
• Asbestos 12,000 tonnes at Sellafield
• High volume/low activity material including
  gt1,000,000 m3 of concrete
• The potential future capacity of the LLWR is
  estimated at 750,000m3 subject to authorisations

10
The challenge from the asbestos waste

• Reduction of low level waste to LLWR
• Require a disposal route
• Reduce hazard potential associated with the
  storage of waste
• Free up space on the Sellafield Site
• Increase the application of the hierarchy of
  waste management

11
Asbestos

• Asbestos is the commercial name given to
  naturally occurring fibrous silicate materials

12
Asbestos Uses at Sellafield
13
Current Waste Volumes

• Some 6,000 tonnes from Calder Hall
  decommissioning alone and similar volumes from
  the rest of Sellafield
• Characterisation of Calder Hall asbestos shows
  approximately 90 is exempt waste and 10 low
  level waste (very low level)
• Remaining asbestos yet to be characterised
  however the bulk of it is expected to be low
  level or very low level wastes
• Exempt asbestos wastes currently being disposed
  of to a PPC licensed landfill site
• There will be another significant arising but not
  for another 20 years or so when current plants
  cease operations

14
What we want to consider today

• Where to deal with the waste
• Sellafield
• UK facility
• Overseas

• What to do with the waste
• Reuse
• Recycle
• Treatment
• Direct disposal

• Which waste to manage
• Sellafield only
• Sellafield and stocks from other nuclear
  facilities
• Waste from non nuclear sources

15
What to do with the asbestos waste?

• Reuse and recycling
• Not possible

16
Treatment Disposal Options
17
What to do with the waste asbestos?

• Disposal
• Direct disposal at the LLWR requires volume
  reduction for soft asbestos wastes
• Note - exempt asbestos wastes currently being
  disposed of to a PPC licensed landfill site

18
Where to deal with the waste asbestos?
19
Which asbestos to manage?
20

• Questions

21
What we want to consider today

• Where to deal with the waste
• Sellafield
• UK facility
• Overseas

• What to do with the waste
• Reuse
• Recycle
• Treatment
• Direct disposal

• Which waste to manage
• Sellafield only
• Sellafield and stocks from other nuclear
  facilities
• Waste from non nuclear sources