Sellafield’s new Silo Maintenance Facility kicks into gear! This cutting-edge hub will maintain equipment used to haul radioactive waste from two of Sellafield’s oldest nuclear storage units — the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo and the Pile Fuel Cladding Silo.
On top of that, it services the flasks that ferry this dangerous waste from the ageing silos to state-of-the-art storage buildings being built right on site.
From Construction to Full Throttle
It’s taken over eight years of hard graft by top partners Balfour Beatty and Cavendish to bring the facility to life, with construction and equipment installation wrapped up back in April 2019.
The latest milestone? The building just received its very first transport flask straight from the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo, officially kicking off active operations.
Roddy Miller, Sellafield Ltd’s operations director, said:
“It’s an important moment in the life of any facility, stepping into the real world of active operations.
The Silo Maintenance Facility is world-class, ready to do a vital job for decades. Everyone involved can be proud of playing their part in creating a clean and safe environment for future generations.”
Making Headway Emptying the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo
The launch of active operations is the latest leap forward in Sellafield’s mission to empty the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo. The hazardous waste inside is being carefully transferred to modern, safer storage facilities.
Last year, workers reclaimed the first batch of waste. Just last week, the second of three specialised retrieval machines was installed inside the silo, ramping up efforts even more.
