Key projects
Decommissioning Care and Maintenance
SGHWR
The Reactor Hall, containing the Primary and Secondary Containment Areas, is the largest structure of the SGHWR Complex. As the period of Care and Maintenance begins, the roof over the Turbine Hall and Annexes will be refurbished or, if necessary, replaced to provide a safe and controlled working environment.
DRAGON
The DRAGON reactor Complex is located on the western edge of the site and has entered a period of Care and Maintenance following initial de-planting and decommissioning operations.
Waste Operations
ILW/LLW
Sludge arising from the Steam Generating Heavy Water Reactor (SGHWR) resin beds, stored in the SGHWR External Active Sludge Tanks (EAST), are being processed. The planned encapsulation is nearing completion and the LLW sludges have been put into a cementitious matrix inside 500-litre drums, prior to interim storage in the Treated Radwaste Store (TRS).
Thorium will also be encapsulated in a cementitious mixture inside drums for storage in TRS. Thorium encapsulation will be carried out after all the sludges have been processed.
An ILW store will be constructed during the interim end-state phase to safely store the ILW produced as a result of decommissioning the SGHWR and DRAGON reactors, prior to transfer off-site.
Hazardous Waste Operation
Sodium currently stored in the B7 Complex contains a portion that has been activities and this needs to be packaged into suitable off-site packages, prior to transportation to an appropriate facility for processing.
Decommissioning and Land Remediation
The interim end-state for Winfrith includes the completion of all remaining decommissioning, demolition and land reinstatement activities in preparation for the delicensing of land formerly occupied by the SGHWR facility and support facilities.
Following assessment and preparation, decommissioning of DRAGON will begin with the completion of outstanding work from the original contract.
The decommissioning of the former waste processing building Complex, drains and other redundant buildings will begin towards the latter part of the interim end-state phase.
Work on decommissioning the Sea Pipeline and the Blacknoll Reservoir will begin during this time.
As decommissioning and land remediation work progresses, cases for the delicensing of zones of land will be prepared and submitted to the NII.
Site Close-out
In the final key phase from 2039 to 2048, the remainder of the site will be restored, so it can be removed from nuclear regulatory control.
Waste Operations
Once the Deep Waste Repository is available, Winfrith’s Treated Radwaste Store (TRS) and ILW store will be emptied and decommissioned. Associated land will be remediated.
Delicensing
Final delicensing cases, including those for the TRS, the ILW store and adjacent land, will be submitted to the NII, and the areas delicensed.
Site end-state
The end-point will be achieved with the removal of nuclear regulatory control and the controlled run-down of the contractor team.
SGHWR at Winfrith
SGHWR Internal
Dragon Reactor
Treated Radwaste Store
Dragon Reactor Monitoring
Bee Orchid
