§ Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on(a) difficulties encountered and (b) strategies adopted in the decommissioning of the Windscale pile number one at Sellafield; and what the cost of this exercise has been so far. [144506]
933W
§ Mr. TimmsThe Pile One reactor is considered by international experts to be one of the most challenging decommissioning tasks in the nuclear industry. The key challenges include
Limited knowledge of the extent of damage to the fire-affected core;Difficult access to some areas of the core;Ensuring a fire-free environment throughout the work; andEmploying suitable remote-controlled machinery to remove hazardous material.Strategies have been adopted for two phases of the decommissioning. Phase One of the project, that of clearing up and sealing the air and water ducts, was successfully completed in 1999. This work ensured that the reactor continues to be maintained in a condition acceptable to the nuclear regulators.
Phase Two, the current phase, involves removal of the hazardous materials and the treatment and packaging of the resulting waste. Problems with the initial design concept led to a rigorous technical review of the options for dismantling. This review is ongoing.
934WSafety is UKAEA's highest priority and any decommissioning strategy must be shown to have addressed all known hazards.
Phase One decommissioning costs were £14 million. Phase Two costs to date are approximately £30 million.