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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Delivering Business Benefit to UK Decommissioning through Collaborative Innovation - Approach and Technologies - 18539

Conference ·
OSTI ID:22977808
;  [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority - NDA (United Kingdom)
  2. Innovate UK (United Kingdom)
  3. Sellafield Ltd (United Kingdom)

The UK's nuclear energy programme, dating from the post-war years, has left a mixed legacy to the country: numerous prototype reactors, fuel-manufacturing plants, research centres, reprocessing plants and 11 power stations. The Sellafield site in west Cumbria houses more than 200 nuclear facilities and 1,000 buildings, making it one of the world's most complex environmental decommissioning challenges. Many 'never-done-before' projects are under way, which require substantial levels of R and D and innovative engineering approaches. One of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's (NDA) responsibilities is to ensure that the right level of R and D is carried out to enable progress on delivering the full decommissioning programme. Since 2010, NDA has been collaborating with Innovate UK, the UK government's innovation agency, to engage the supply chain and develop innovative technologies and services to support the NDA's mission and the growing international nuclear decommissioning market. The paper will provide an overview of the approach (e.g. open calls, briefing events, independent assessment, technology showcases) and the associated benefits (e.g. attracting new ideas, end-user engagement, increased supply chain collaboration). The paper also highlights selected technologies developed through the process. (authors)

Research Organization:
WM Symposia, Inc., PO Box 27646, 85285-7646 Tempe, AZ (United States)
OSTI ID:
22977808
Report Number(s):
INIS-US--20-WM-18539
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English