You're right it is excellent, a truly classic example of the nuclear industry swerving the truth, omitting one vital fact .... No mention of why it needs emptying --- IT'S LEAKING!
@@craftmole leaking is recognized publicly and if you were to have a look on a few Sellafield webpages you can easily find out it has been leaking and that they do plan to deal with it as apart of the terrain remediation works when the facility is decommissioned. I’m not sure how you managed to skip by the several major engineering and logistical challenges expressed throughout in this video that arise as a direct result of this storage method. This is what necessitates the emptying, it’s not a very well planned design and they are well aware of that. This type of unnecessary hatred and sci-fi like fear or nuclear power is exactly what’s created the energy crisis we’re all experiencing now. You don’t often hear about existing of nuclear power plants not being able to meet demand or having to shutdown due to external factors.
@@northsimulation3386 I know it's public knowledge but Is there even a mention of it in the video? ... NO. Just another in a long string of nuclear pearls.
@@craftmole Why would they mention it in the video? They are decommissioning the entire site so why single out one fault when they could waste time listing every one of the hundreds of faults? Those faults being the entire reason we are decommissioning the place in the first place...
First generation technology. But still, I rather see that waste in that controlled environment than the equivalent coal combustion waste products in the atmosphere that the whole Magnox program displaced.
This is a mess but not how spent radioactive fuel and waste is processed today, this short tern 'solution' was put in place when bomb production along with diversifying power production in the UK was the overwhelming priority and it created a lot of waste.
The swarf is mainly cladding which is MAGnesium Non-OXidizing (hence the name) so while it's contaminated with the remains of fuel certainly, the mass fraction of fissionable material is almost vanishingly small.
No, the air above the pond is ventilated and would stop the build up of the hydrogen far below any chance of ignition. You need to have a very high concentration of gas to ignite. The risk was identified and processed put in place to prevent it years ago.
"It's been built since the early 1960's & been extended three times" .... "I'm not quite sure what the thinking was " ...... "We may have to accept some short-term increases in risk along the way" ...... Nuclear stupidity at its finest for at least 5 decades out of 7. ..... How much of an INCREASE IN RISK is this given that this is already 1:10. "A very hazardous environment, there is nothing comparable THAT WE'RE AWARE OF* in Europe or possibly even the world" ? ..... The capitals are for my emphasis - the nuclear industry ARE, demonstrably, liars to the core - how many years have you been claiming to be Safe (lie), Cheap (lie), Clean (lie)?
90 years to fully decommission the site 2500+ years for the spent fuel and reactor components to be safe. All the money spent on this buys a lot of renewable energy.
@@Bustergonad9649 one big problem with renewables, they are dependant on the weather, unless you welcome power outages, we need a strong base load power source which can work In conjunction with renewable plants. Nuclear is the perfect solution as a baseload power source as it does not emit co2. You also need to keep in mind that sellafield is a unique nuclear site. Commercial nuclear power stations do not have these issues.
@@northsimulation3386 it doesn't have to be sunny for PVs to generate electricity and TBH the UK is one of the windiest countries in Europe - we have more wind days than non-wind days. Sellafield is not a unique site. All of the Magnox NPS are current being or about to be de-commisioned. Trawsfynydd in North Wales is a prime example. I visited the site in February and it currently has the status of the most dangerous construction site in western Europe and won't be be fully decommission for 90 years and then what do you do with the spend fuel ??
@@Bustergonad9649 Yes PV’s and wind can generate power I never said they couldn’t however what happens if the wind dies down or it becomes night? You need a power source that is not dependant on the environment to be a base, the wind and solar can then be extra Your statement about sellafield “not being a unique site” is entirely wrong. It is the only kind in the world that has such a diversity of facilities like that. No nuclear power plant, Magnox or not have swarf storage silos and legacy ponds to be decommissioned. Sellafield was a mixed site that covered nearly every area of nuclear from commercial reactors (Calder hall), test reactors (WAGR) and reprocessing facilities (B205,B204 and Thorp) as well as many legacy ponds and silos. It is not your average nuclear power plant There have also been nuclear power stations that have shut down, decommissioned, and completely demolished to a greenfield state, the spent fuel is then stored in dry casks on-site. Google: Yankee Rowe, Big rock point, Zion just to name a few, it’s been done. The UK is just taking a different approach and waiting years for radiation levels to decay before dismantlement, nothing wrong with that.
@@northsimulation3386 energy storage is going to be the next step change in technology that will put another nail in the coffin of nuclear. As for a unique site overall sellafield is unique but recycling if spent fuel aside the Magnox power generation is the same as another Magnox site that are taking 90 years to decommission. Also, Trawsfyndd has legacy tanks full of spent fuel that is currently being removed.
Clean up is fair enough..... But your just moving the waste from one area to another. For the next generation to sort. Costing billions.... 20 years to plan. China was built in 20 years 😂
Excellent and what a brilliantly clear presentation by your speaker.
You're right it is excellent, a truly classic example of the nuclear industry swerving the truth, omitting one vital fact .... No mention of why it needs emptying --- IT'S LEAKING!
@@craftmole leaking is recognized publicly and if you were to have a look on a few Sellafield webpages you can easily find out it has been leaking and that they do plan to deal with it as apart of the terrain remediation works when the facility is decommissioned. I’m not sure how you managed to skip by the several major engineering and logistical challenges expressed throughout in this video that arise as a direct result of this storage method. This is what necessitates the emptying, it’s not a very well planned design and they are well aware of that. This type of unnecessary hatred and sci-fi like fear or nuclear power is exactly what’s created the energy crisis we’re all experiencing now. You don’t often hear about existing of nuclear power plants not being able to meet demand or having to shutdown due to external factors.
@@northsimulation3386 I know it's public knowledge but Is there even a mention of it in the video? ... NO.
Just another in a long string of nuclear pearls.
@@craftmole Why would they mention it in the video? They are decommissioning the entire site so why single out one fault when they could waste time listing every one of the hundreds of faults? Those faults being the entire reason we are decommissioning the place in the first place...
I'm glad you recognise the situation for what it is.
Horrifying situation we're in. Good presentation.
incredible work!
Incredible how the silos were still being used even after the leaks were discovered.
To be fair, they had 60yrs to fix the MSSS problem, they just kept filling it year after year. Can’t blame the folks in 60s for that
First generation technology. But still, I rather see that waste in that controlled environment than the equivalent coal combustion waste products in the atmosphere that the whole Magnox program displaced.
This is a mess but not how spent radioactive fuel and waste is processed today, this short tern 'solution' was put in place when bomb production along with diversifying power production in the UK was the overwhelming priority and it created a lot of waste.
?????? .... It was a short-term solution for several decades even after the discovery of the leaks.
how many cpm is it 2 meters away from the swarf?
Off scale.
Great video.
2:45 can you ensure that, during the process of grabbing the waste material, you don't compress the material to a criticality situation?
The swarf is mainly cladding which is MAGnesium Non-OXidizing (hence the name) so while it's contaminated with the remains of fuel certainly, the mass fraction of fissionable material is almost vanishingly small.
So you'll not be dissolving the waste in acid to cut down in radiation like they did with the magnox swarf at the magnox stations?
Not at the magnox Swarf silo directly I don’t think, perhaps in the other plant there should be a video on it on the sellafield channel
What a mess 😱 great work though
It's been a mess since it was built & nothing's changed.
When the grabbing tool drops the material is there a risk of creating sparks and igniting the gas?
No, the air above the pond is ventilated and would stop the build up of the hydrogen far below any chance of ignition. You need to have a very high concentration of gas to ignite. The risk was identified and processed put in place to prevent it years ago.
I think the atmosphere is Inerted with nitrogen.
Whatever we do do
does the liquid contain tritium?
Tritium gas has a short half life of 12 years. So, I would say no. Buy a tritium glow stick if you want some!
@@garethjohnstone8662 it exists in liquid form as well,thats why i asked.
Tritium is tritium, gas or liquid, it's half life is 12 years.
Brilliant 5.05 a,b and thirdly
Cool!
power too cheap to be metered, lol, that qoute didn't age well
best example why nuclear simply can't compete on a cost-basis. if you do it as safe as possible, costs simply skyrock
I wish it was the worst hazard In the world
What an absolute disgrace.
you will work here 42 hours a week - and own nothing.
erm, ok.
"It's been built since the early 1960's & been extended three times" .... "I'm not quite sure what the thinking was " ...... "We may have to accept some short-term increases in risk along the way" ...... Nuclear stupidity at its finest for at least 5 decades out of 7. ..... How much of an INCREASE IN RISK is this given that this is already 1:10. "A very hazardous environment, there is nothing comparable THAT WE'RE AWARE OF* in Europe or possibly even the world" ? ..... The capitals are for my emphasis - the nuclear industry ARE, demonstrably, liars to the core - how many years have you been claiming to be Safe (lie), Cheap (lie), Clean (lie)?
90 years to fully decommission the site 2500+ years for the spent fuel and reactor components to be safe. All the money spent on this buys a lot of renewable energy.
@@Bustergonad9649 one big problem with renewables, they are dependant on the weather, unless you welcome power outages, we need a strong base load power source which can work In conjunction with renewable plants. Nuclear is the perfect solution as a baseload power source as it does not emit co2.
You also need to keep in mind that sellafield is a unique nuclear site. Commercial nuclear power stations do not have these issues.
@@northsimulation3386 it doesn't have to be sunny for PVs to generate electricity and TBH the UK is one of the windiest countries in Europe - we have more wind days than non-wind days.
Sellafield is not a unique site. All of the Magnox NPS are current being or about to be de-commisioned. Trawsfynydd in North Wales is a prime example. I visited the site in February and it currently has the status of the most dangerous construction site in western Europe and won't be be fully decommission for 90 years and then what do you do with the spend fuel ??
@@Bustergonad9649
Yes PV’s and wind can generate power I never said they couldn’t however what happens if the wind dies down or it becomes night? You need a power source that is not dependant on the environment to be a base, the wind and solar can then be extra
Your statement about sellafield “not being a unique site” is entirely wrong. It is the only kind in the world that has such a diversity of facilities like that. No nuclear power plant, Magnox or not have swarf storage silos and legacy ponds to be decommissioned. Sellafield was a mixed site that covered nearly every area of nuclear from commercial reactors (Calder hall), test reactors (WAGR) and reprocessing facilities (B205,B204 and Thorp) as well as many legacy ponds and silos. It is not your average nuclear power plant
There have also been nuclear power stations that have shut down, decommissioned, and completely demolished to a greenfield state, the spent fuel is then stored in dry casks on-site. Google: Yankee Rowe, Big rock point, Zion just to name a few, it’s been done. The UK is just taking a different approach and waiting years for radiation levels to decay before dismantlement, nothing wrong with that.
@@northsimulation3386 energy storage is going to be the next step change in technology that will put another nail in the coffin of nuclear. As for a unique site overall sellafield is unique but recycling if spent fuel aside the Magnox power generation is the same as another Magnox site that are taking 90 years to decommission. Also, Trawsfyndd has legacy tanks full of spent fuel that is currently being removed.
Clean up is fair enough..... But your just moving the waste from one area to another. For the next generation to sort. Costing billions.... 20 years to plan. China was built in 20 years 😂
Great video