Search for Articles
Insight Newsletter
Edition 10 - November 2012(2Mb)
Previous editions of Insight
Edition 9 - June 2012 (3Mb)
Edition 8 - February 2012 (3Mb)
Edition 7 - September 2011 (3Mb)
Insight Newsletter - Special Edition - Financial Highlights 2010/11 (2Mb)
Edition 6 - June 2011 (1Mb)
Edition 5 - February 2011 (3Mb)
Edition 4 - November 2010 (2Mb)
Edition 3 - July 2010 (2Mb)
Edition 2 - March 2010 (2Mb)
Edition 1 - November 2009 (2Mb)
If you have any comments on Insight, please contact the editor:
01925 802343
Latest Articles
12 April 2013
International Waste Management Conference
04 April 2013
Nuclear history captured for posterity
04 April 2013
Winfrith hazard gone
04 April 2013
Breeder transport now under way
04 April 2013
Funding boost speeds up demolition
03 April 2013
Transport moves continue
03 April 2013
Climbing to new heights
03 April 2013
Bulk asbestos safely removed
03 April 2013
All clear for first vault
03 April 2013
The art of creating a nuclear sight
International experts welcome Magnox approach
15 June 2012
A team of international experts have welcomed the new Magnox approach to decommissioning, where work is accelerated at two ‘lead’ sites in order to harness the learning and expertise across the remaining sites.
Magnox requested the International Peer Review, which assesses safety and performance against agreed international standards, in 2008.
The team of six nuclear specialists from the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA) focused on Bradwell in Essex, with a first visit in 2008, a further on-site meeting and completion of the final report earlier this year.
The three-year review period included the adoption of the revised strategy, the Magnox Optimised Decommissioning Programme, which will see Bradwell and Trawsfynydd entering the ‘Care and Maintenance’ phase much earlier than originally planned, a reduced decommissioning timeframe of around 34 years in total across all sites and expected savings of more than £1.3 billion.
| International reviews |
|---|
|
The Vienna-based IAEA carries out reviews on request, using teams of internally recognised specialists.
The main objectives are to provide - on the basis of international safety standards - an independent assessment of the safety of an activity or facility and to assist Member States in improving performance in the area or operation under review.
The reviews provide independent expert opinion and advice on proposed programmes and actions and implementation.
It also informs a Member State whether its programme is consistent with good practice in other national programmes. |
The report noted the introduction of innovations and more efficient use of personnel, and stated:
“The review team strongly welcomes the above changes which result in a much more coherent and efficient overall programme.”
Paul Wild, Magnox Operational Resilience Manager, said:
“We are always pleased to have the opportunity to get feedback from others within the industry.
This approach demonstrates that we are making the same commitment to safety and knowledge sharing in a decommissioning environment as we have done during many decades of electricity generation.”
Brian Burnett, the NDA’s Head of Programme for Magnox, said: “The IAEA’s recognition is a powerful
endorsement of the ‘lead and learn’ approach, which is both simple and pragmatic. The concentration of effort and resources on a single set of issues at one or two sites allows for the development of definitive solutions that can then be applied elsewhere.
“This revised approach has effectively re-written the Magnox story, and provided a cohesive framework for all the sites to follow.”
The report also proposed a range of recommendations including graphite solutions, characterisation of waste, interface with regulators and cost estimations.
