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Official opening marks end of three-year project
A CEREMONIAL opening of the new Waste Handling Facility at Sellafield, marking the end of a three year construction project, was held on 11 July.
The largest construction project inside the separation area in the last 15 years, the building was completed by Production Operations Projects, before being handed over to the Waste Handling Team.
Waste handling is an important aspect of operations within separation area now that retrieval, decommissioning and production operations are all proceeding together.
In order to handle waste more efficiently a building was needed where waste could be gathered, sorted, segregated and measured prior to despatch via the most appropriate waste route.
The new waste handling facility will allow operations performed in the open air to be carried out under cover.
An important aspect of the facility’s operation is the packing of containers which are destined for the Low Level Waste Repository (LLWR).
Project manager, Peter Caton, and construction manager, Phil Bound, were both impressed with the end product and what it will allow teams at Sellafield workers to achieve.
Peter said: “The waste handling team has done an excellent job in less than perfect conditions over the past couple of years. This facility will allow them to go even further, resulting in a considerable financial saving and a reduction in volume taken up at the LLWR.”
Following completion of the design phase in July 2006, by Jacobs, construction was split between substructure (AMEC) and superstructure (Border Construction Limited) contracts; saving 12 weeks on the schedule.
Two safety accumulator schemes were operated during the project, donating £860 to St James Infant School in Whitehaven, for work completed safely by AMEC and £1,610 to the Footsteps Child Development Centre in Whitehaven, for work completed safely by Border Construction Ltd.
