Studsvik Metal Recycling Facility
StUdSviK metaL recycLing faciLity
Studsvik Metal Recycling Facility
The Studsvik MRF will serve the UK’s nuclear industry, including
those sites now being decommissioned under the control of the
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). To meet the Government’s
decommissioning targets, new facilities - such as the Studsvik MRF
- need to be operated to provide alternative methods for managing
waste materials that will be removed during the decommissioning
process.
The Studsvik MRF will safely recycle large quantities of valuable
scrap metal and also help to ensure that the amount of low level
waste that is sent for disposal to the national Low Level Waste
Repository, near Drigg in Cumbria, is kept to a minimum. This is a
key step in implementing the UK low level waste policy and waste
hierarchy for the management of radioactive waste. The Studsvik MRF
is the first new nuclear licensed site in the UK for twenty years,
and has full planning permission for waste treatment.
Studsvik is investing in radioactive waste facilities which will
provide waste producers with an economic and sustainable
alternative to disposal. The Studsvik Metal Recycling Facility
(MRF), at Studsvik’s own nuclear licensed site at Lillyhall in
Cumbria, is scheduled to open by the end of 2008. The facility, the
first of its kind in the country, will be able to offer a full
recycling service for low level radioactive metallic wastes arising
from operational and decommissioning programmes. The service will
allow waste producers to save disposal costs, accelerate their own
programmes and enable full compliance with UK Waste Policy,
including implementing the “waste hierarchy” and the Best
Practicable Environmental Option for metallic waste
management.
Our target is to decontaminate and
recycle 95 % of the metallic waste
StUdSviK metaL recycLing faciLity
What will we do there? The site will process metallic wastes
contaminated with low levels of radioactivity. The waste will be
brought to the site by road in specially designed, and fully
certified, transport containers of similar appearance to normal
industrial shipping containers. Road movements will be kept to a
minimum. The transport containers to be used will be certified and
tested to ensure that their contents are always contained during
transport or storage. To process the materials on site, the
containers will be moved by forklift truck and either docked onto
the side of the Studsvik MRF to be unloaded, or brought inside the
building. A range of industrial cutting and decontamination
techniques will process the scrap metal inside the plant.
The materials will be decontaminated using techniques such as dry
grit blasting in automated blasting chambers. An automated high
force compaction machine will also be used in the MRF. All of these
processes will be operated by trained operators supported by
specialist radiation monitoring personnel. Furthermore, the
resulting materials will be cleaned metal which will either be
recycled in the UK, or potentially sent to our facility in Sweden
for further treatment by metal melting. Overall, it is expected
that the process will reduce the volume of incoming waste needing
to be sent for disposal by 95%, making
significant savings on disposal costs and minimising the volumes of
waste requiring disposal.
What are the next steps? We received our nuclear site license in
February 2008. It is our intention to commence construction work in
spring 2008, which we envisage will take around 9 months to
complete. The site will be aesthetically improved and developed.
During the development phase of the Studsvik MRF, the buildings and
outside areas will be improved, modified and refitted. Part of the
current building will be extended and new equipment installed. The
site boundary fence will be reinforced and a security lodge will
also be constructed. Rare rush pasture habitat surrounding the MRF
will be sensitively managed under the guidance of Cumbria Wildlife
Trust, of which Studsvik UK is a corporate member.
Working in the local community Studsvik UK is committed to an open
and transparent approach in all its activities in the area. As a
local employer we value the support of the local community and wish
to assist projects that enhance the sporting, cultural, educational
and environmental quality of life in Allerdale and West Cumbria.
Studsvik has already been involved in several charitable and
community projects and plans to support several new ventures over
the coming year.
High Force
For more information on the
Studsvik MRF please contact Kevin Wilkinson Waste Processing
Manager T: 0191 482 1744 E:
[email protected]
StUdSviK metaL recycLing faciLity
facilitating waste producers to comply
with the waste hierarchy”
reducing Lifecycle costs Studsvik will reduce waste management and
decommissioning lifetime costs by:
Reducing costs by providing an economic alternative to disposal
costs Reducing the quantities of waste for disposal saving ongoing
operational costs and deferring capital expenditure on disposal
capacity expansion Allowing other waste management and
decommissioning programmes to be brought forward by unblocking the
bottleneck of LLW disposal, and freeing up other NDA funds.
recycling for the environment The environmental and social drivers
for recycling waste, rather than direct disposal, are strong. From
our everyday household process of recycling newspapers and glass,
to the challenges of resource and energy usage, external pressure
to recycle wastes is increasing. There are however three enablers
which must be in place for people and organisations to consign
their wastes for recycling:
1. Economic – recycling must be economically attractive for
consigners to recycle
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3. Confidence – consigners must have confidence that their waste
will be recycled effectively, efficiently and with minimal
environmental impact
The Studsvik MRF will provide an economically advantageous
alternative to disposal, and Studsvik will work together with
consigners to provide a simple, efficient and straightforward
process for consigners to follow.
assurance: improving data and information quality Assurance is the
highest priority for Studsvik. Studsvik will ensure the highest
levels of safety, quality and assurance at the Studsvik MRF
through:
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transport and treatment of low radioactive metallic waste, and
Studsvik UK has an outstanding safety record Within the UK,
Studsvik has transported and treated hundreds of tonnes of waste
without regulatory incident; Studsvik has the following assurance
accreditations:
- ISO 90012000; - ISO 14001:2004; - OHSAS 18001:1999. - Nuclear
Site License
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StUdSviK metaL recycLing faciLity
Studsvik - Leading metals recycling Studsvik has over 25 years
experience internationally and is a market leader in nuclear waste
management and materials recycling.
Studsvik has sold 15000 tonnes of exempt metal to the free release
scrap market, saving ~£35 million in true disposal costs.
Studsvik operates waste materials treatment facilities in Sweden,
USA and from 2008 in the UK.
innovation through experience Studsvik is applying robust
technologies internationally and in the UK. Applying these robust
technologies will be in many cases, innovative for the UK. However,
Studsvik’s international experience gives confidence on their
effective use.
Studsvik has built flexibility into the facilities to be able to
deal with larger pieces of waste.
Studsvik Metal Recycling Facility
Studsvik UK Ltd Head office Unit 14, Princes Park, 4th Avenue Team
Valley Trading Estate Gateshead, Tyne & Wear NE11 0NF T: +44
(0) 191 482 17 44
F: +44 (0) 191 482 17 47
Sellafield office Site 5, Compound 9 c/o BNFL Sellafield Seascale,
Cumbria CA20 1PG T: +44 (0) 1946 721 276
F: +44 (0) 1946 721 899
Aldermaston office 3B Achilles House Calleva Park,Aldermaston
Berkshire RG7 8RN T: +44 (0) 1189 812 519
F: +44 (0) 1189 816 609
Preston office Ribble House, Meanygate Bamber Bridge Lancashire PR5
6UP T: +44 (0) 1772 646 880
F: +44 (0) 1772 646 899
Warrington office Unit Y10, The Genesis Centre Warrington Road
Warrington WA3 7BH T: +44 (0) 1925 853 882
F: +44 (0) 1925 828 648
Printed on 100% Recycled Paperwww.studsvik.com/uk