Landmark UK plant decommissioning projects
Two significant decommissioning projects have been completed at the UK's oldest nuclear power plants.
Demolition contractors removed the last of 2,300 tonnes of asbestos cladding from Calder Hall, while Chapelcross saw the last of its uranium being removed.
At Calder Hall the asbestos removal had to be undertaken in line with strict regulations. Working with a carcinogenic material, the asbestos demolition had to be undertaken in a ventilated and safe environment. The project involved contractors working with 36-metre-tall scaffold towers and constructing tents to shield the heat exchangers. Since operations at the plant ceased in 2003 the asbestos had not been kept at a constant temperature. This could have led to the material becoming unstable and therefore posing more of a risk.
At Chapelcross over 10,000 drums of Magnox depleted uranium (MDU) was stored at the plant during the 1970s and 1980s. MDU was used to manufacture fuel for the UK's advanced gas-cooled reactors, though this is no longer considered economically viable. The last drum being removed from the plant marked the completion of a five-year project, ahead of schedule.
The Calder Hall asbestos abatement project was completed under budget.
