United Kingdom | A £6 million (US$ 9 million) recycling plant at Lillyhall, Workington, in north-west England has become the UK's first new nuclear-licensed site for 20 years, according to Swedish operator Studsvik.
The ceremony to mark the opening of the plant was described by Mark Lyons, President of Studsvik UK, as a 'hugely significant' step forward in implementing the UK's strategy for dealing with low-level radioactive waste. He said: 'This is a big day for the United Kingdom. Hundreds of thousands of tonnes of scrap metal arising from the decommissioning of UK nuclear sites is waiting to be cleaned and recycled.'
According to Studsvik's Chief Executive Magnus Groth, the facility will recycle 95% of the input into new metal. 'Studsvik has 61 years of nuclear expertise,' he pointed out. 'We have a strong track record of health and safety and value for money.'
The recycling plant was granted a nuclear site licence by the UK Health and Safety Executive in 2008 and active commissioning is scheduled for mid-July this year. The facility will drastically reduce the amount of waste going into the low-level waste repository at nearby Drigg, prolonging its life expectancy while salvaging metals for further industrial use.
The facility's Manager Mike McMullen said: 'Construction of the plant using local contractors has already made a valuable contribution to the West Cumbrian economy and the facility will play an increasingly important role in the local economy for the foreseeable future.'
Acknowledgement
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