Sellafield’s SIXEP Plant Hits Major Construction Milestone
The SIXEP Continuity Plant at Sellafield is charging ahead. Two massive charge vessels have just been craned into place, marking a key step in this crucial nuclear clean-up project.
Massive Vessels Installed to Filter Radioactive Waste
These two giant vessels, each weighing 14 tonnes and standing over 3 metres tall and wide, were carefully lifted into the plant’s service building. Made by Salford-based Langfields, they travelled 119 miles to reach Sellafield, ready to do the job of removing radioactive contaminants from water before it’s safely discharged into the sea.
- The entire project calls for 59 tanks and vessels, acting like “kidneys” to clean up effluent streams.
- The first two tanks were installed back in December, made by Bendalls Engineering and Langfields.
- A team of 35 supported the complex lifting operation, which took just 12 hours in kind weather.
Team Proud as Vital Step Advances Nuclear Clean-Up
Steph Elwood, SCP vessels team lead, said: “We’ve worked closely with multiple teams and our supplier to deliver fit-for-purpose vessels so construction can move on to the next milestone. It’s been an enormous effort from everyone involved, from concept to onsite installation. I’m incredibly proud to see these vessels installed—they will serve this facility for decades as part of Sellafield’s clean-up mission.”
Heavy lift specialist Max Robinson added: “Each vessel weighs 14 tonnes and with rigging totals 16 tonnes. We had to position them within 2 millimetres tolerance before welding them into place. The lifts were precisely planned and executed by the team—successfully completed in a single day.”
Future-Proofing Sellafield’s Clean-Up Efforts
The SIXEP Continuity Plant is being delivered by the Programme and Project Partners (PPP) at Sellafield to ensure the existing Site Ion Exchange Effluent Plant (SIXEP), operational for 38 years, can keep its vital work going for decades. This new facility is a cornerstone in Sellafield’s mission to create a cleaner, safer environment for generations to come.
