For almost 60 years, Magnox reprocessing has served as the foundation of Sellafield’s activities.
The Magnox Reprocessing Plant in Sellafield received its last feed of used fuel just before the stroke of midnight on July 17, 2022.
Nitric acid was used to dissolve fuel after it had been fed into the plant’s charge machine in order to separate the uranium and plutonium.
The same procedure that has allowed the facility to reprocess about 55,000 tonnes of Magnox fuel.
The momentous event ended 58 years of secure operations at the plant.
A new phase of clean-out and decommissioning will shortly begin for the structure and its supporting plants.
In a secure manner, the Magnox Reprocessing Plant completes its task.
Through the operation of the plant, generations of Sellafield employees have contributed to ensuring that low-carbon electricity continues to flow to homes and businesses.
It recycled the fuel from the Magnox fleet, the first generation of nuclear power plants in the UK.
In 2015, the penultimate station in north Wales, Wylfa, shut down.
Since then, the stock of spent fuel left over by these ground-breaking powerhouses has been processed by Sellafield’s reprocessing facility.
The factory recycled 54,920 tonnes of Magnox fuel in total.
That is more than half of all the fuel that has ever been recycled globally.
Chief Executive Officer of Sellafield Ltd. Martin Chown said:
One of the greatest success stories in British industrial history is the Magnox Reprocessing Plant.
By boosting power generation in the UK over the course of its lifetime, it has contributed to saving 2.3 billion tonnes of carbon.
I’m quite happy with what we’ve accomplished.
The Magnox facility was built with a 20-year lifespan in mind when it first began operating in 1964.
The fact that it has survived for 58 years is evidence of the know-how and commitment of those in charge of the facility.
But this is the right moment to end.
I want to express my gratitude to everyone who was involved, including those in the factory and the other facilities that assist reprocessing.
The cessation of reprocessing won’t result in any employment losses.
Any employee whose position is no longer needed will be relocated within the company.
As we work to realise our goal of ensuring a clean and safe environment for future generations, we have a tremendous variety of fascinating possibilities across the organisation.
Employee numbers in the plant will remain roughly similar during the post-operational clean-out phase, which is expected to take about 2 years.