There are two nuclear fuel reprocessing plants at Sellafield. One deals with Magnox fuel from Britain's early nuclear reactors, like the ones which were used at Calder Hall power station at Sellafield, which is now closed down. The other fuel reprocessing plant at Sellafield is the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant or Thorp, as it is known. Thorp deals with fuel from British Advanced Gas Cooled Reactors (AGR) and Light Water Reactor fuel from around the world.
When the spent (used) fuel is removed from a nuclear reactor it is still emitting radiation and heat. It is put into large Fuel storage ponds or pools of water near the reactor where it can sit to allow it to cool and allow the radiation levels to decrease. After this cooling period, the fuel is loaded into specially constructed secure containers called 'flasks'. These flasks are transported to Sellafield either by road, rail or from overseas customers by sea in purpose built ships.
International Nuclear Services manages the contracts and logistics for nuclear fuel recycling and transport services.
Reprocessing Achievements
The Sellafield Product Residue Store (SPRS) project reached a major milestone of 500,000 man hours without a Lost Tme Accident.
After 10 years of operational life the Thorp reprocessing plant's existing Medium Active Salt Free Evaporator (MASFE) was nearing the end of its life. The
MASFE is an important piece of plant used primarily to process Medium Active liquors, concentrating them down prior to them being sent for further evaporation and Vitrification into glass.
Sellafield's Plutonium Finishing and Stores team has worked over 4 1/2 million working hours without a Lost Time Accident.
Within Thorp Reciept & Storage the new multi element bottle (MEB) export facility has started up. The facility has recently started the active commissioning phase which will allow for the removal of 400 empty MEBS, freeing up space for 1000 tonnes of fuel in the ponds.
In the last week Sellafield Ltd has
exported a shipment of reprocessed uranium to Russia for manufacture into new fuel. The uranium, which is owned by European customers, is the seventh such shipment of material from Thorp.
