Operations: the key to success

As teams at Sellafield develop world-first solutions to some of the most complex nuclear decommissioning challenges on the planet, the experience of our operations professionals is key to their success.

Those challenges include decommissioning four of the highest radiological hazards in the country, the legacy ponds and silos. These facilities were never designed with decommissioning in mind. Our teams are designing ways to retrieve nuclear fuel, waste, and radioactive sludge that has been held inside the ponds and silos for almost seventy years.

The task also demands the manufacture of hundreds of high-integrity waste storage boxes, transport flasks, and new stores that will keep the waste safe and secure until a permanent geological disposal facility is available.

Involving experienced operations professionals in the testing and commissioning of the retrieval processes brings a multitude of benefits.

Our operations team bring a wealth of hands-on knowledge of machinery, planning, scheduling and the management of operations activities. This can dramatically enhance the design and functionality of engineering solutions.

Managing operations activities offers unique insights into the real-world application of equipment and processes, often identifying challenges and opportunities that engineers may overlook. By incorporating feedback into the design phase, manufacturers can create more efficient, user-friendly systems that boost productivity and reduce downtime.

This collaborative approach ensures that the engineering solutions are not only innovative but also practical and tailored to the specific needs of the workforce.

Furthermore, leveraging the expertise of the operations profession can lead to cost-effective design improvements. Their understanding of machine behaviour and operator nuances allows for the identification of potential design flaws before they escalate into costly problems. By bridging the gap between theoretical design and practical application, operations teams play a pivotal role in refining solutions that not only meet but exceed industry standards.

The benefits are two-way, with operations team members also benefiting from being part of engineering and commissioning teams.

Richard, an experienced operations professional within the First Generation Magnox Storage Pond, was seconded into the commissioning team created to test the process of retrieving zeolite skips from the legacy pond.

Here are three things he learnt during his experience

In-active commissioning allows us to proof test the system safely

“Retrieving a zeolite skip and transferring it into a self-shielded box may sound simple, but adapting an aging facility to make it do a job it was never designed to do is complex.

“Testing the system safely with empty skips during the in-active commissioning was crucial in ensuring that the adaptations we’d made during the design phase worked reliably. There were some unexpected challenges when conducting these trials but ultimately, these challenges provided us with the information we needed to make further modifications to the equipment.”

The best solutions are found when working as an integrated team

“I’ve worked in the export facility for 13 years. Being seconded to the commissioning team meant I could provide invaluable insight into the inner-workings of the plant. We took a combined approach to come up with practical solutions to the challenges we faced. Once we were in active commissioning, the hard work was already done.”

Being part of projects like this is a privilege

“I’ve been part of a team that helped achieve the first zeolite skip retrieval. I think I’m one of the very few people in the world who can say that. The work I’ve contributed to has made a meaningful difference to hazard risk reduction. I’ll now train 40 operators on the new process so we can continue retrieving the other 236 zeolite skips.”

Interested in joining the operations teams at Sellafield Ltd? Find out more about our operations profession.