• Nuclear

Steaming ahead with core business

After nearly two years of detailed design and preparatory work, James Fisher Nuclear (JFN) has reached an important milestone in its major £60million decommissioning contract at Winfrith in Dorset, and is about to commence site activities.

Back in the summer of 2016 Pelican reported that James Fisher Nuclear had beaten competition from top European companies to win a tough competitive tendering process and secure the £60m contract with Magnox, working on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. This is still one of the most significant turnkey decommissioning projects to have been awarded in the UK.

Since then, the JFN team has been hard at work developing the technical solutions necessary to remotely segment Winfrith’s redundant Steam Generating Heavy Water Reactor (SGHWR) core and handle the resultant waste packages. Because the core is categorised as ‘Intermediate Level Waste’ it has to be handled by remotely operated equipment, which has made this a technically challenging project.

Kerry Bailey, JFN’s principal project manager for SGHWR explains:

‘We’ve made extensive use of 3D modelling systems to develop the design, integrating modifications to the mechanical plant with the equipment required to remotely decommission the reactor core. A key driver throughout has been to utilise a mixture of commercial off the shelf (COTS) systems with bespoke equipment to provide Magnox with the most optimised solution.’

‘To support this methodology JFN is manufacturing some of the specialist tooling and integrating it with COTS equipment to allow development trials to take place over the coming months. Additionally, we have a safety case team working closely with our engineers at JFN’s Bamber Bridge office to ensure every stage of design, construction, commissioning and operations meets the relevant safety standards required for the project.’

‘Site mobilisation activities commenced earlier this year, to support the initial on site enabling works and we are now ready to start breaking ground on site,’

The plan is for the JFN team to work closely with Magnox to ensure its operations team is trained to use the equipment and can safely take the reactor apart. An on-site development facility will be provided to support ‘on the job’ training requirements with JFN on standby to provide technical advice and support.

According to Kerry, the project is progressing towards the end of the detail design stage where Magnox and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority are set to authorise the move towards implementation. With this in mind, the team is engaging with its supply chain and integrated teams of specialist sub-contractors are fine-tuning procurement plans.

Winfrith’s SGHWR is just the second nuclear power reactor core to be approved for decommissioning in the UK. It is a prestigious project for JFN and one which represents one of the largest value decommissioning projects to have been awarded in the UK in recent years. In the eyes of the industry, this firmly establishes JFN as the UK’s leading contractor for reactor decommissioning implementation.

Kevin McIntyre, reactors programme manager for Magnox says:

‘Decommissioning the SGHWR is a significant step in dealing with the country’s nuclear legacy. JFN has proven itself as an able and innovative partner. The team has attacked the challenges presented by the Winfrith reactor and put forward innovative, safety focused and cost effective solutions.’

Paul Read, managing director of JFN adds:

'This is a huge project and I’m pleased it is progressing well. We have a strong heritage in this field, as we have been integral in every reactor segmentation project carried out in the UK and we are now taking our skills and experience to a wider market by actively pursuing similar opportunities in Europe and further afield.'

With more than 20 other reactor cores in the UK awaiting a decision on their decommissioning fate, this contract win illustrates market confidence in JFN to deliver the most economic and technically advantageous solutions for the nuclear industry in a safe, environmental and socially responsible manner.

What is Winfrith?

In the 1950s, the Winfrith site was established as a research centre looking into cost-effective ways of generating electricity from nuclear sources. Water-cooled reactors seemed to offer major advantages over the gas-cooled alternatives.

Winfrith’s SGHWR was built in 1967 as a prototype power-producing water-cooled reactor to demonstrate the viability of the system. The only water-cooled reactor ever to be built in the UK, its cooling towers became the Dorset site’s most recognisable landmark.

Over its 23 year life, Winfrith’s reactor demonstrated the reliability of the SGHWR system. It supported a major experimental programme, which provided data, information and experience on the operation and development of water- cooled reactors. It also operated as a power station, earning revenues by feeding electricity into the national grid. In fact it generated enough electricity to power the needs of a small town.

In 1990, it was announced that the SGHWR was to close down and an extensive programme of decommissioning began immediately. This programme will continue until completion in 2023.