Studsvik UK News
STUDSVIK UK has constructed a Metals Recycling Facility (MRF)  in West Cumbria, the first of its type in the country.

It will serve the UK’s nuclear industry whose sites are now being decommissioned under the control of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). To meet the Government’s decommissioning targets, new facilities – such as our MRF – need to be constructed to provide alternative methods for cleaning the materials that will be removed during the decommissioning process.

Our facility will safely recycle large quantities of valuable scrap metal and also help to ensure that the amount of Low Level Waste (LLW) that is sent for disposal to the National Low Level Waste Repository near Drigg in Cumbria is kept to a minimum. This is in line with UK low level waste policy and waste hierarchy for the storage and disposal of radioactive waste. Studsvik has now received authorisations and licences from the Environment Agency and Health and Safety Executive to operate its MRF. Alongside this, Studsvik has received planning permission from Cumbria County Council to allow the site to be developed and waste management activities to be undertaken there.

What will we do there?

The site will process materials and waste contaminated with low levels of radioactivity, which will be brought to the site in specially designed transport containers of similar appearance to normal industrial shipping containers. Typically, around two or three containers will be transported to and from the site each week, so the number of road movements will be very low. The transport containers to be used will be certified and tested to ensure that their contents are always contained during transport or storage. To process the materials on site, the containers will be moved by forklift truck and either docked onto the side of the MRF to be unloaded or brought entirely inside the building. A range of industrial cutting and cleaning techniques will process the scrap metal inside the plant.
The materials will be cleaned using techniques such as dry grit blasting in automated blasting chambers. An automated compaction machine will also be used in the MRF. All of these processes will be operated by trained operators and specialist radiation monitoring personnel will be in attendance at all times. Furthermore, the resulting materials will be cleaned metal which will either be recycled in the UK, or potentially sent to our facility in Sweden for further cleaning by melting. All radioactive residues from cutting and cleaning will be collected and packaged into drums and containers for safe disposal at the National Low Level Waste Repository near Drigg. No radioactive materials will be disposed of at our MRF. Overall, it is expected that the process will reduce the volume of incoming waste needing to be sent for disposal by 95%.

When will this happen?

We received our final licence in February 2008. It is our intention to commence construction work in April 2008 which we envisage will take around 8 months to complete. The site will be aesthetically improved and developed. During the development phase of the MRF, the buildings and outside areas will be improved, modified and refitted. Part of the current building will be extended and new equipment installed. A site boundary fence will be installed and a security lodge will also be constructed. Rare rush pasture habitat surrounding the MRF will be sensitively managed under the guidance of Cumbria Wildlife Trust of which Studsvik UK is a corporate member.

Working in the local community

Studsvik UK is committed to an open and transparent approach in all its activities in the area. As a local employer we value the support of the local community and wish to assist projects that enhance the sporting, cultural, educational and environmental quality of life in Allerdale and West Cumbria. Studsvik has already been involved in several charitable and community projects and plans to support several new ventures over the coming year.

Communication

This webpage is dedicated to informing readers about the development of our MRF and we will regularly post photographs and publish construction timescales. We have joined the West Cumbria Sites Stakeholder Group (WCSSG) to enable us to formally advise the local community on our progress. We also intend to issue Stakeholder Newsletters and hold future open days for the local community. To find out more details about these please visit this webpage on a regular basis.

Update April 2009

The physical construction work and installation of all plant is now complete and non-active commissioning and testing of the facility has commenced. We will submit our completed Commissioning Report to the NII during early May 2009 to request permission to commence active commissioning of the facility in July 2009.

At the same time our nominated security contractor will commence security duties in mid April 2009. We have also now largely completed the recruitment of the initial facility team who are undergoing training and familiarization with the plant and proposed process.

We plan to undertake a number of facility tours for customers and stakeholders during late Spring/Summer 2009.