Standardising containers for the UK's nuclear waste
This work will define for the first time approved container designs for waste across differing radioactivity levels.
The project by UK's Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) and Sellafield Ltd will standardise containers across the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority estate.
The approach seeks to enable compatibility with eventual geological disposal, so packaging will remain suitable for future disposal conditions, avoiding possible complex repackaging operations.
The standardised container catalogue is not seen as an immediate solution to all current container issues faced by site operators, but is part of a long-term strategy for more efficient and cost-effective waste management well into the future.
It will be governed by the Sellafield-led Waste Container Management Body, which will review any requests for new inclusions.
Rob Miller, Head of Manufactured Products at Sellafield, says, 'It creates a single, consistent set of waste container designs that will reduce duplication, improve value for money, and streamline the procurement and manufacture of containers across all organisations.'
The partnership notes that, previously, radioactive waste containers were often designed and developed by individual Site Licence Companies, tailored to support specific waste streams, resulting in multiple bespoke container designs.
