Latest news with #Sellafield
BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
Plans to demolish turbine hall at Sellafield site
Proposals to demolish a building that was once part of the world's first full-scale nuclear power station have been Council is considering plans to pull down the Calder Hall turbine hall A (CHTHA) building on the Sellafield building is redundant and has "reached the end of its useful life", the application stated, adding: "Sellafield is currently undertaking option studies into future development options."Hailed as the dawn of the atomic age, Calder Hall produced electricity for 47 years and stopped generating power in 2003. Opening in 1956, Calder Hall consisted of four Magnox reactors, two turbine halls and four cooling towers were demolished using explosives in 2007 as part of the plant's decommissioning process. The overall size of the turbine hall is 245ft (75m) long by 121ft (37m), with the switch room extending a further 33ft (10m) out from the east side of the overall are steam turbines and condensers inside which are supported on reinforced concrete platforms, according to the demolition application covering letter, the Local Democracy Reporting Service the potential future redevelopment at the site, they proposed removing the building superstructure and retaining the existing concrete foundations."Any future development proposals will be presented to relevant stakeholders and will be subject to formal planning application and consent from the local planning authority," the letter added. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
11-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Sellafield pay row prompts Unite union strike ballot
Union members at the Sellafield nuclear site are to be balloted for strike action in a long-running dispute over specialised has accused contractors at the Cumbria plant of refusing requests for "site specific allowances" relating to those working on advanced technologies said strike action would result in work at the plant grinding to a halt and called for further Ltd said it did not directly employ those affected but "safety and security" would be its priority. The ballot, of 1,500 workers employed by 36 contractors, will start on Thursday and last until 24 affected workers include electricians, joiners, pipefitters, riggers, groundworkers, welders, painters and other construction roles. The union said there was also a further demand for the introduction of a nuclear professional allowance for its members, as construction workers at Hinkley Point C, AWE, Sizewell C and BAE Systems in Barrow were given a regional officer Ryan Armstrong said: "Strike action would inevitably result in work at Sellafield grinding to a halt but the employers have brought this dispute on themselves by refusing to negotiate."There is still time to avoid strike action, but the employers must return to the table with a viable offer." A spokesperson for Sellafield said the company was aware of the dispute involving contractors employed under specific working agreements."The affected individuals are not employees of Sellafield Ltd," a spokesperson said."As always, the safety and security of the Sellafield site, our workforce and the local community will be our priority during any industrial action." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
10-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Moorside land release is 'best chance' for nuclear return, MP says
The release of land is the "best chance" of nuclear power generation returning to a county, an MP has Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced plans to free up land at Moorside, West Cumbria, to be leased for a new nuclear power to open a plant at Moorside by NuGen failed when parent-company Toshiba decided to wind up its UK nuclear business in 2018."I can't promise we will get new nuclear, but unlocking this land gives us our best chance since the collapse of NuGen," said Josh MacAlister, Labour MP for Whitehaven and Workington. Cumbria's nuclear plant Sellafield hosted the world's first commercial-sized nuclear power station. Calder Hall closed in 2003 after providing electricity for 47 years, and the site is in the process of being land at Moorside will be known as Pioneer Park, the Sir Keir said, and would look to attract Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and "the energy intensive industry they could power".MacAlister said the land agreement meant plans could "motor ahead" to deliver the project "at pace".Councillor Mark Fryer, leader of Cumberland Council, said a clean energy development in West Cumbria would help grow and diversify the local economy."The main driver for me is generating enough power at Moorside, by whatever means, to attract industry and technology to Cumberland that will sustain our economy and create jobs for west Cumbrians long after the inevitable downturn in decommissioning at Sellafield," he is hosting a public meeting on plans for new nuclear in West Cumbria on 26 June at 18:00 details will be provided to those signing up for the event through the MP's website. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Sellafield could leak until 2050s, MPs warn
The UK's largest nuclear site could continue leaking radioactive water until the 2050s, MPs have warned, while its clean-up operations struggle to progress quickly enough. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) criticised the speed of decommissioning work at Sellafield in Cumbria, citing "cost overruns and continuing safety concerns" in a report published on Wednesday. Although the committee noted there were "signs of improvement", PAC chairman Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said Sellafield continued to present "intolerable risks". The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) acknowledged the leak at its Magnox Swarf Storage Silo (MSSS) was its "single biggest environmental issue". The MSSS, which the NDA described as "the most hazardous building in the UK", has been leaking radioactive water into the ground since 2018, releasing enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool every three years. It is likely to continue leaking until the oldest section of the building has been emptied in the 2050s, about a decade later than previously expected. Sir Geoffrey said: "As with the fight against climate change, the sheer scale of the hundred-year timeframe of the decommissioning project makes it hard to grasp the immediacy of safety hazards and cost overruns that delays can have. "Every day at Sellafield is a race against time to complete works before buildings reach the end of their life. "Our report contains too many signs that this is a race that Sellafield risks losing." Pointing to the fact that Sellafield Ltd had missed most of its annual targets for retrieving waste from buildings, including the MSSS, the committee warned: "The consequence of this underperformance is that the buildings are likely to remain extremely hazardous for longer." A spokeswoman for the NDA said the "leak in the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo is contained and does not pose a risk to the public". "Regulators accept that the current plan to tackle the leak is the most effective one." Sir Geoffrey said it was of "vital importance that the government grasp the daily urgency of the work taking place at Sellafield and shed any sense of a far-off date of completion for which no-one currently living is responsible". "Sellafield's risks and challenges are those of the present day. "There are some early indications of some improvement in Sellafield's delivery, which our report notes. "The government must do far more to hold all involved immediately accountable to ensure these do not represent a false dawn, and to better safeguard both the public purse and the public itself." Sellafield ceased generating electricity in 2003 and, in addition to work cleaning up the site, now processes and stores nuclear waste from power plants around the UK. The government plans to create an underground geological disposal facility (GDF) to store nuclear waste for the thousands of years it will take to become safe. But the committee said delays in creating the GDF, which is now not expected to be complete until the late 2050s, meant more costs for Sellafield. NDA chief executive David Peattie said it welcomed the report, adding it took the "findings seriously and the safety of the site and the wellbeing of our people will always be our highest priorities". "We are pleased they recognise improvements in delivering major projects and that we are safely retrieving waste from all four highest hazard facilities." The PAC expressed concern there was a "sub-optimal culture" at Sellafield and called on the NDA to publish information about the prevalence and perception of bullying in its annual report. The NDA spokeswoman said: "We're committed to an open and respectful culture and we've taken decisive action to enable this, including strengthening our whistleblowing policy." The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said it "expected the highest standards of safety and security as former nuclear sites are dismantled, and the regulator is clear that public safety is not compromised at Sellafield". "This is underpinned by monthly performance reviews and increased responsibility for overseeing major project performance, enabling more direct scrutiny and intervention," a spokeswoman for the department said. "We have zero tolerance of bullying, harassment and offensive behaviour in the workplace - we expect Sellafield and the NDA to operate on this basis, investigate allegations and take robust action when needed." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Leak is Sellafield's 'biggest environmental issue' GMB warns over potential nuclear plant Budget cuts Nuclear site runs up 'considerable' costs - report Plan for new building to store radioactive waste Sellafield Ltd Public Accounts Committee
The Independent
04-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Report lays out ‘failure' at nuclear power plant
A report by MPs warns that the Sellafield nuclear power plant may continue to leak radioactive water into the 2050s due to the slow decommissioning progress. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) criticised the process at Sellafield for "failure, cost overruns, and continuing safety concerns", despite some signs of improvement. The Magnox Swarf Storage Silo, considered the UK's most hazardous building, has been leaking radioactive water since 2018. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) acknowledges the leak as its "single biggest environmental issue". However, the NDA said that it is contained and does not pose a risk to the public, with regulators approving the current plan to manage it. The PAC raised concerns about a "sub-optimal culture" at Sellafield, pointing to non-disclosure agreements and calling for transparency regarding bullying, while the NDA said it is committed to an open and respectful culture. Britain's 'most hazardous building' could leak radioactive water for 30 more years, MPs warn
