Programme summary
The first phase of the Harwell clean-up programme to 2031 is focusing on making historic arisings of radioactive waste passively safe, transferring them off site if necessary, and decommissioning redundant nuclear facilities.
In the second phase to 2064, the remainder of the site environment will be restored, making clean land and buildings available for unrestricted use.
Waste Operations
New facilities are being provided to improve the throughput and effectiveness of retrieving and repackaging historic ILW. Sludges are being encapsulated and contact-handled ILW processed on-site.
The plan assumes a Deep Waste Repository will be available.
Decommissioning and Land Remediation
The reactors BEPO, DIDO and PLUTO and the major facilities known as the Radiochemistry Facility, the High Activity Handling Facility and the Liquid Effluent Treatment Plant will be decommissioned. Areas of contaminated land will be remediated and landscaped. The Vault Store, ILW Store, and Export Facility will remain during the interim period.
During the final phase, the emptying of waste in the stores to a national repository and the decommissioning of the stores in the Solid Waste Complex will be carried out. Delicensing work will also be completed and groundwater containment operations at the WSA will be terminated.
Site End-state
During this phase, the site will be released to enable land and buildings to be redevelopment for science and business use. This will fulfil the Government’s vision for the site as the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus.
Harwell Site Operations
Waste Encapsulation Plant
Dido and Pluto Reactors at Harwell
Harwell Site
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