How is radioactive waste managed now - Intermediate Level Waste (ILW)
Waste packaging and
encapsulation plant at Sellafield
A standard 500-litre drum used
to store ILW mixed with cement
For most ILW, packaging consists of immobilisation in cement-based materials within 500 litre stainless steel drums. Large items are packaged in higher capacity stainless steel or concrete boxes.
Wastes may first be treated to reduce their water content to an optimum level for packaging. Certain materials and small items of equipment can be supercompacted, while other solid wastes are cut up to reduce their size.
There are a number of ILW packaging plants operating at Sellafield. These plants are packaging a variety of solid and sludge wastes from spent fuel reprocessing. ILW packaging plants are also operating at Dounreay, Harwell, Trawsfynydd, Windscale and Winfrith. Further packaging plants are being built and planned.
To date about 21,000 cubic metres of ILW have been packaged, producing about 40,000 packages that are held in modern engineered stores, pending a disposal route being available in the UK (go to What is the long-term solution - Higher activity waste). The NDA has defined standards and specifications for packages, and advises the waste producers on the packaging of ILW.
