Berkeley Site

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Berkeley Site
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Berkeley Nuclear Licensed Site.

• Care and Maintenance Preparations Waste
  Management.

Presentation to the RWIN Meeting, Winfrith, 28th
May 2008. Prepared by Andrew Oborne, Engineering
Manager, BNLS Presented on behalf of BNLS by
Roger Streatfield, Magnox South.
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Contents.

• Introduction to Berkeley Nuclear Licensed Site
  (BNLS).
• Site Separation.
• Periodic Safety Review (PSR) Works.
• Reactor gas circuit drier desiccant.
• Caesium Removal Plant (CRP) sludges and resins.
• Active Waste Vaults.

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Introduction to BNLS

• Twin Magnox reactor site Berkeley Power Station
  (BPS).
• Commissioned 1962.
• Ceased generation 1989.
• De-fuelling completed 1992.
• Gas circuits removed and boilers laid down.
• Pond drained, decontaminated and demolished.
• Shielded Area Post Irradiation Examination (PIE)
  Facility Berkeley Centre (BC).
• Constructed early 1960s.
• Decommissioning started 2005.
• De-licensed 11 hectares December 2006.

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Site Separation

• Aim Separation of licensed and de-licensed parts
  of the Berkeley Site to allow NDA to pursue
  alternative uses for the land.
• Key Aspects.
• 11kV supply separation.
• Water supply and fire hydrant separation.
• Sewage system separation.
• Fire alarm and alarm monitoring system
  separation.
• Independent security systems.

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Periodic Safety Review Works

• Periodic Safety Review being prepared to cover
  site operations from 2009 to 2019 as an ILW waste
  storage facility.
• Completion of work for reactors to enter Care and
  Maintenance.
• Safe, compliant storage of unprocessed ILW.
• Active waste vaults (inspection and assessment to
  demonstrate integrity of underground vault
  structure).
• Caesium removal plant sludges and resin (transfer
  to new proven tanks, with proven secondary
  containment).
• Shielded area (storage of stainless steel ILW
  drums in caves with pond and zinc bromide windows
  drained).
• Enhanced monitoring and surveillance
  capabilities.
• Reconfiguration of site facilities for extended
  storage.

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BNLS - Caesium Removal Plant (CRP) Project -
Desiccant

• Used at BPS to remove moisture from the carbon
  dioxide primary coolant, contaminated by
  tritiated water vapour resulting in 107 x 200
  litre drums. Volume 10.6 m³.
• To be retrieved and encapsulated in 500-litre
  drums using the LLW Solidification Plant (LLWSP)
  as per BPEO.
• 360-day formulation trails complete.
• LOC stage 2 submission in progress.

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BNLS - Caesium Removal Plant Project Sludge
Resin

• Vol. 10.6m³ of Sludge stored in Sludge and Sand
  Settling Tank (SSST) 1.
• Vol. 11.72m³ of Resin stored in Spent Resin
  Storage Tank (SRST) 1.
• ILW Solidification Plant (ILWSP) identified as
  processing solution following substantial
  engineering review.
• Waste to be transferred from building tanks to
  Nirex 3m³. container, grouted, cured and
  transferred to ILW store.

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Active Waste Vault Retrieval (AWVR) Waste
Management Strategy

• Loose Fuel Element Debris (FED) ILW.
• Retrieval from vaults.
• Assay.
• Transfer to Encapsulation Cell.
• Place in 3m³ box.
• Encapsulate.
• Export to ILW Store.
• LLW Chute Silo Gravel.
• Retrieval from vaults.
• Assay.
• Transfer to LLW Compound.
• Dispose to National LLW Repository.

• Containerised Waste (Vaults, CRP, Shielded Area
  ILW).
• Retrieval from Vault or import via import bay
  from shielded area.
• Container Shredded.
• Waste sorted through rotary screen and assay.
• Collect as Miscellaneous Contaminated Items
  (MCI)/FED/Mobile.
• Process to 3m³ drums in accordance with LoCs.
• Encapsulate.
• Export to ILW Store.