A company owned and operated by Cavendish Fluor Partnership Limited on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

Preparations for the Building of a New ILW Store at Harwell

Richard Lightowlers

Senior Project Manager

19 April 20233

Presentation to CQI Nuclear Special Interest Group

• Background• The Harwell ILW Box Store (HIBS) Project• The Planning Application• Site Investigation and Remediation Work• The Proposed Contract• Quality Aspects• Questions

19 April 20234

Background – RSRL and CFP

• RSRL is the Site Licence Company decommissioning the ex-UKAEA Harwell and Winfrith Sites on behalf of the NDA

• RSRL works to a Lifetime Plan approved by NDA• CFP won the competition to take ownership of RSRL

and Magnox as from 1 September 2014• RSRL and Magnox will be combined and relicensed as a

single SLC (to be known as Magnox)• CFP bid included changes to the Lifetime Plan which

provides cost savings to the taxpayer

19 April 20235

Background – Decommissioning Progress

• UKAEA began decommissioning Harwell and Winfrith in 1990

• Objective at Harwell to release land for development and expansion of the Harwell-Oxford Campus

• Winfrith includes SSSI - to be returned to heathland with public access

• Winfrith lead site for demonstration of return to greenfield• Significant facilities at both sites whose decommissioning

will generate ILW

19 April 20236

The HIBS Project – Why is it Required?

• The ultimate disposal route for ILW is consignment to the Geological Disposal Facility (GDF)

• For current planning purposes we assume the GDF will be available from 2040

• To make progress with decommissioning the sites an interim store is required

• Large items of ILW (eg reactor components) are best packaged in large boxes

• Winfrith decommissioning projects selected the 6m3 concrete box

• No existing 6m3 concrete box store with spare capacity

19 April 20237

The HIBS Project – Why Harwell?

• A box store for Harwell Decommissioning ILW had been part of the plan for Harwell since before NDA

• NDA change of strategy in 2011 to make best use of national waste processing and storage facilities

• NDA/Cavendish/RSRL developed plan for early complete decommissioning of Winfrith

• NDA will be responsible for ILW from JET at Culham 10 miles from Harwell

• Harwell already has an ILW Store for 500 Litre drums and will remain a licensed site until the GDF is available

• Options studies carried out to justify selection of Harwell and location on site

19 April 20238

The HIBS Project – What will be Stored?

• ILW will be packaged in 6m3 Reinforced Concrete Boxes

• Dimensions: 2.44m x 2.21 x 2.20 (h)

• Weight: up to 50 tonnes• 240mm thick concrete walls

provide shielding for transport purposes

• Best estimate of inventory is 423 boxes

19 April 20239

The HIBS Project – Design Concept

• Approx 90m by 30m by 14m high

• 500mm thick concrete walls up to 7.2m

• 55 tonne EOT crane for box handling

19 April 202310

The HIBS Project – Location

19 April 202311

The Planning Application – Preliminary Work

• Strategy developed in 2011 by in-house project team in conjunction with:– Planning consultant– Legal consultant– Environmental consultant– PR Consultant

• Preliminary ecological and visual impact surveys• Submission of Environmental Scoping Report• Preliminary consultations with the Planning Authority

19 April 202312

The Planning Application – Preparation 1

• Extensive work undertaken in preparation:– Environmental Impact Assessment– Meetings with OCC Officers– Lobbying and Visits by Local Councillors– Public Exhibitions

• General acceptance of the need for the store• Support for importation of ILW from Culham• Some opposition to importation of ILW from Winfrith

19 April 202313

The Planning Application – Preparation 2

• EIA sub-contract included:– Development of design concept with associated drawings– Traffic and noise surveys– Further ecological and visual impact surveys– Review of site history to assess potential land quality issues

• Planning Statement• Design and Access Statement• Statement of Consultation

19 April 202314

The Planning Application - Conditions

• Planning consent granted March 2013• Includes permission to import ILW from Winfrith• Conditions settled (22) and consent formalised July 2013• Conditions with impact on Design and Build Contract:

– Development to commence within 3 years (ie before July 2016)– 4 conditions requiring OCC approvals prior to commencement:

• External cladding and other wall and roof finish materials

• Surface water drainage scheme

• Traffic management plan

• Scheme for prevention of mud/dust deposition on roads

– 5 other conditions governing work on site

19 April 202315

Site Investigation and Remediation Work

• Site previously occupied by a transport vehicle garage• Extensive programme required to meet planning condition • Work included:

– Desk study– Radiation survey– Geophysical surveys– Intrusive surveys (trial pits) and removal of buried features– Removal of contaminated soil to delicensable levels– Geotechnical surveys

19 April 202316

The Proposed Contract – Work to date

• Early decision to contract for detailed design and build• Separate safety case contract• Project team developed works information documents

following granting of planning consent• OJEU Notice published January 2014 in expectation of

issuing ITT in April 2014• ITT delayed pending outcome of reconciliation of CFP

plans and RSRL lifetime plan• Agreed that planning consent needs to be maintained

19 April 202317

The Proposed Contract – Tendering

• Changes to the works information to satisfy CFP– Deferral of construction of superstructure– Reduction in store size– Other cost saving measures

• ITT issued 29 January 2015• Tenders required 24 April 2015• Place contract in June/July 2015• Focus will be on ensuring start of development by July

2016

Quality Aspects - New Build Considerations

19/04/2318

LegislationLicence Conditions

CDMH&Setc

StakeholderExpectations

FundingSupply Chain

Capability

Security

EnvironmentalConditions

Planning Constraints

Licence Conditions

Material

PerformanceProvenance

SQEPAvailability

StandardsCodes

Specifications

EnvironmentalConditions

ObsolescenceReliability(Plant/Equipt)

StructuralPerformance

Waste

Quality Aspects (examples)

• Manage the Needs and Expectations of Stakeholders– Stakeholder Management Plan (Periodic meetings etc)

• Requirements Capture and Management– Employer, Technical, Functional Requirements Documents – Ensuring requirement flow down

• Supply Chain Management– Principal Contractor Quality Assurance Program

• Suitably Qualified and Experienced Persons (Roles/Responsibility/Authority)– SQEP Project Organisation and availability of expert resources (CDM, Independent Verification Activity)

• Governance– Appropriate Project Governance and reporting Structure to enable improvement

• Document and Data Management– Document Control, Long Term Quality Records, Knowledge management)

• Assurance– Assurance and Approval Programme (Inspections, Technical Audits, Hold Point, System Audits etc)

• Safety Culture– Instilling the right attitudes and behaviours toward safety

Integrated Assurance & Approval Programme

Timeline 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19

Key Phase Requirements Design Construction Install & Test Commissioning

RSRL SaV

ONR Oversight

NDA Oversight

Internal Regulator LC19, 20 LC24, 26

Project Audit Project Review Project Review

Technical Audit Design ApprovalEngineering/building

Regulations

Project Team

Approvals Approvals Inspections (QSHE) Inspections (QSHE) Inspections (QSHE)

Hold Points Hold Points Hold Points Hold Points Hold Points

Risk Management; Project Meetings and Senior Management Reporting, Workshops/meetings with PC

Principal Contractor

Site Inspections – Quality Plans – Audits - Reporting

Quality Aspects – Why have QA (1)?

To ensure:•Implementation of an appropriate project governance and reporting structure•Establishment of a SQEP project organisation and availability of expert resources (CDM, Independent Verification Activity)•Understanding of the needs and expectations of the business and other stakeholders (e.g. NDA, PBO, OCC, ONR)•Translation of needs and expectations into clear and unambiguous Requirements (Expert input)•Selection of the right prime contractor (not just about cost) – pre- qualification, ITT, tender assessment procedure and panel

Quality Aspects – Why have QA (2)?

To ensure:•Establishment of a mutually beneficial relationship with the Contractor (e.g. Communications Protocols, Value Engineering)•Implementation of a comprehensive Project Quality Management System (e.g. Document Management)•Implementing a QA Programme (Appropriate level of Inspection/Review/Audit to assure quality but not so much as to reduce productivity of the project)•Identification of Hold Points

19 April 202323

Questions – from you

?