Sellafield marked the completion of a new state-of-the-art storage facility that will keep nuclear waste safe and secure for many years to come.
The Encapsulated Product Store 3 (EPS3) is the latest addition to the suite of facilities designed to store Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) in purpose built above ground storage buildings on the Sellafield site. The modern store contains over 32,000m3 of concrete and 7,300t of reinforcing steel and represents the very latest generation in nuclear waste storage, design and construction. It is capable of storing over 29,000 waste drums.
Steve Bostock, Director, Spent Fuel Management said: “EPS3 will receive ILW arising from the sites continuing reprocessing and high hazard removal operations, as part of decommissioning a number of priority facilities. The team is now excited about operating this new facility to enable continued safe and secure storage of ILW on the Sellafield site”.
Pete Lutwyche, Sellafield programme Director for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), added: “The completion of EPS 3 marks a major milestone in the decommissioning of Sellafield. This facility is a key piece in the jigsaw of projects we need to clean-up the most hazardous areas of the site – the NDA’s number one priority task.”
Once opened, the building will provide modern storage of waste for many years to come, pending its ultimate disposal in a deep geological facility.
