The NDA group | Employee Bulletin

End of reprocessing at Sellafield

Sellafield‘s Magnox Reprocessing Plant took its final feed of spent fuel on 17 July.

Fuel was fed into the plant’s charge machine through a process which has seen approximately 55,000 tonnes of Magnox fuel reprocessed through the facility. That’s more than half the volume of fuel reprocessed anywhere in the world.

The historic moment ended 58 years of safe operations in the plant. The building and its supporting plants will soon enter a new era of clean-up and decommissioning.

Generations of Sellafield workers have helped keep low carbon electricity flowing to homes and businesses through the plant’s operations.

It recycled fuel used in the UK’s first generation of nuclear power stations, known as the Magnox fleet.

The final station, at Wylfa in north Wales, closed in 2015. Since then, Sellafield’s reprocessing plant has been working through the stock of spent fuel left over by these stations.
Martin Chown, Sellafield Ltd chief executive officer, said:

"The Magnox Reprocessing Plant has been one of the biggest success stories in British industrial history. It has helped save 2.3 billion tonnes of carbon over its lifetime by supporting electricity generations across the UK.

“I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved. When the Magnox plant started operating in 1964 it was expected to have a shelf life of 20 years. The fact it has lasted 58 years is testament to the expertise and dedication of those who have been running the plant. But now is the safe time to stop. I want to thank everyone involved, not just in the plant itself, but all of the supporting facilities that make reprocessing possible.

“There will be no job losses because of ending reprocessing. Anyone whose role is no longer required will be redeployed elsewhere in the business. We have a huge number of exciting opportunities across the business as we strive to achieve our purpose of creating a clean and safe environment for future generations."

David Redpath, NDA’s Director of Performance Improvement said:
"The completion of reprocessing operations at Sellafield marks a significant milestone for the site and UK nuclear industry. Its achievement is a tribute to the skills and commitment of the teams who have operated this plant safely over many years. Completion now allows Sellafield to focus on its forward clean-up mission and prepare the reprocessing facilities for post operational clean-out and subsequent decommissioning."

Photo: The final feed of spent fuel being reprocessed at Sellafield's Magnox Reprocessing Plant