The team at the heart of Sellafield’s clean-up mission has hit a momentous milestone.
The site’s Retrievals East River has just received, treated, and sent for storage its 50,000th waste package.
RER takes intermediate level waste from Sellafield’s legacy plants and deals with remnants of spent fuel from the UK’s Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors.
The AGR programme provided RER’s 50,000th package – a graphite filled waste drum.
Lee Metcalf, head of RER Operations, said: “I’m proud to be part of a team that, for more than three decades, has safely received and processed ILW into a disposal form. Reaching this milestone is down to the dedication and hard work of everyone involved.
“In processing these 50,000 packages, we’ve used an impressive 12,000 m³ or 24,000 tons of grout. That’s enough to fill five Olympic swimming pools or pack 120 double-decker buses!”
Alyson Armett, head of retrievals value stream, said: “Even though reprocessing operations have ended, RER continues to play a vital role in UK energy generation by accepting waste from fuel dismantling, helping to keep the lights on across the country.
“We’re also contributing to the ongoing site-wide cleanup of our most hazardous facilities, like the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo (MSSS).
“Originally, MSSS waste was meant for the Box Encapsulation Plant (BEP), but with BEP not operational until 2027, RER has adapted its facilities to accept this waste in the meantime.
“As we address legacy waste and prepare for increased waste removal from our legacy ponds and silos, RER remains at the forefront of ILW management.
“Through ongoing innovation, adaptation and repurposing its facilities, RER is committed to supporting a cleaner, safer environment for future generations.
“A huge congratulations to the teams and everyone involved achieving this major milestone.”
RER processes waste from a variety of sources using innovative technology to ensure it is safely stored until its final disposal in a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF).
