Sellafield Highly Active Liquor Evaporation and Storage (HALES)
Sellafield, Cumbria, UK · Construction 1961-1997, Operations started 2001 · Part of ongoing Sellafield operations and decommissioning budget
The judgement call
Account-gated at launchHALES has been safely managing radioactive waste for decades, demonstrating long-term operational success in nuclear waste management. - Continuous innovation and maintenance are required to ensure the plant's ongoing safe operation. - The plant is fundamental to the overall waste management strategy at Sellafield.
Key engineering challenges
Safely evaporating and storing highly active liquid waste for decades. - Managing the integrity and inspection of highly active cells and buffer storage tanks. - Ensuring continuous safe operation and maintenance of critical infrastructure. - Dealing with the long-term challenges of radioactive waste management.
Project facts
- Client / owner
- Sellafield Ltd
- Lead contractor
- —
- Lead designers
- —
- Project type
- new build (original), upgrade (ongoing maintenance)
- Scale
- Processes highly active raffinate liquors, involves buffer storage tanks.
- Disciplines
- nuclear; chemical; process; mechanical; electrical; civil; waste management
- Standards & frameworks
- ONR
Sources: Sellafield Ltd X (formerly Twitter): ThrowbackThursday HALES (https://x.com/SellafieldLtd/status/1953429066322792846) - LinkedIn: Sellafield Ltd's Post (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sellafield-ltd_throwbackthursday-archive-nuclear-activity-7453099450350333952-3WbT) - OSTI.gov: Characterization of Highly Active Cells in Preparation for (https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22975330) - ONR: Sellafield - Inspection ID: 52422 (https://www.onr.org.uk/publications/regulatory-reports/site-specific-reports/inspection-records/2023/10/sellafield-inspection-id-52422) - Wikipedia: Sellafield (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sellafield)