Services - Low Level Waste Repository Ltd
Download
Report
Transcript Services - Low Level Waste Repository Ltd
Serco Waste Characterisation Services
Overview of Waste Characterisation and Related Services
LLW Repository Ltd Customer Forum
Rheged Centre, April 2012
Advise | Design | Integrate |
Deliver
Serco Public
Presentation Structure
Serco overview and relevant capability
Background to Waste Characterisation Services frameworks
Case studies
Service delivery
Key messages
Serco Public
Technical Services
LLWR: Tier 1
Serco Materials
Testing
Laboratory,
Risley
Independent advice to
nuclear propulsion
Serco Radioactive
Handling Facility,
Risley
Serco Public
Civil
Nuclear
Relevant Nuclear Competence
Project Management
Radioactive Waste Management
IRAS Contamination
Survey
Optioneering
Radiological Dose Assessment
Radiation Protection
ANSWERS software
Gamma Spectrometry
Computer Modelling
Waste Characterisation
Sellafield Contaminated Land &
Groundwater Management
Programme
Serco Public
Serco and LLWR
Integrated sub-contractor to UKNWM Ltd
– Technical and financial understanding of LLWR
business
– Aligned with securing cost effective management
of UK waste streams
2011 ESC understanding:
– Derivation of the radiological capacity for the
LLWR
– Development of WAC
– Key radionuclides during Period of Authorisation
LLWR Vault 9
“We understand the need
to extend the lifetime of
our national repository”
UKRWI understanding
– Existing and planned waste streams
Cost effective consultancy
NDA Strategic LQM understanding
– Current and future land quality waste arisings on
all NDA sites
Serco Public
Services Available via LLWR Framework
Objective:
– To improve LLWR confidence that waste streams are:
Appropriate, Minimised and WAC compliant
Means:
– Make available to waste consignors a high quality,
consistent characterisation service
– Assist/augment/integrate with existing teams
Physical, chemical and radiochemical
characterisation
– In-situ measurements
– Sampling and analysis
Undertaken by people who understand:
–
–
–
–
Waste Hierarchy
Segregation and treatment of waste
Maximisation of the use of excluded, exempt and VLLW
Occupational and environmental radiation protection
Serco Public
Our Role in the LLWR Framework
To Assist LLWR Ltd in its own Waste Assurance Programme
Provide independent verification of customer’s wastes
– Confirmation that waste received complies with the repository’s Waste Acceptance Criteria
requirement under Environmental Permit
Services:
– Verification monitoring
– Verification sampling and analysis
– Equipment and process verification
Serco Public
Verification Monitoring, Sampling and Analysis
To assess activity in waste packages for comparison against
customers’ own radioactivity content measurement
Methodology
– Examine customer data
– Produce container activity/dose mathematical model
Geometrical and physical container properties
Non-homogenous density and radioactivity
Calculate total detection efficiency
– In-situ dose-rate and High Resolution Gamma Spectrometry
measurements
– Compare in-situ measurements against model
– Verification of consignment
Gamma fingerprint
Declared activity
Serco Public
Equipment and Process Verification
To include provision of test items for deployment to
customer sites
To verify and assure the customer assay processes
and equipment
Calibrated test items to be provided by NPL
– Previously conducted waste drum inter-site comparison
exercises
– Readily transferable verification methodology
Will include witness of customer methodologies and
their data interpretation
Deliverables include written report
Serco Public
Audit Support
To support auditing of waste consignors by providing suitably
qualified and experienced auditors
Serco Environment & QA manager supported by:
– Additional experienced Serco auditors
– Experienced NPL auditors
UKAS assessors experienced in auditing laboratory compliance under ISO17025
standard
Deliverables will include written Audit reports
Serco Public
Radiological Safety and Compliance
DURING CHARACTERISATION AND ASSURANCE WORK
IRR 99
– Co-operation with client RPA to determine who is “Radiation Employer”, so the duties
can be assigned to each party
– Serco is an HSE recognised RPA body
RMT Notification
– Ensuring, prior to consignment, that consignee is willing and able to accept the
consignment under their Permit
Consignment and Carriage
– Samples etc. normally consigned in Excepted Packages (UN 2910)
– Serco has an “all classes” DGSA, who specialises in Class 7 dangerous goods
Serco Public
Case Study 1: JRC ISPRA, Italy
IN-SITU ASSAY AND SAMPLING
The problem
– Components of a legacy test rig contained
0.5 – 4 kg DU in 1100 kg sodium.
– Distribution of the DU key factor in waste
treatment and disposal options
The solution
– High sensitivity gamma flux surveys of the
massive components to identify locations
where DU was concentrated
– Quantification by in-situ HRGS with
mathematical calibration
The outcome
– Strategy decided to segregate DU, treating
the small quantity of sodium by WVN
– Supported by subsequent sampling and
laboratory analysis, once it was practicable to
open up the components
Serco Public
Case Study 2: Pile 1 Chimney
OPTIMISATION OF WASTE MANAGEMENT
STRATEGY
The problem
– 4500 tons of concrete
– High activity concentration contamination on inner near surface,
rapidly reducing with depth to high volume VLLW
The opportunity
– Effective segregation would significantly reduce the quantity of
waste sent to LLWR
Our contribution to BPEO process
– Use of a number of innovative in-situ and ex-situ techniques, and
modelling to describe contamination distribution
– Model development to predict effect of different segregation
options on waste quantities and operator dose
Serco Public
Innovation in Measurement Services
Example 1:
– Pile Chimneys’ Free Release Monitoring
System
– Windscale Pile 2 Chimney concrete
represented a HVLA waste
– Waste segregation optimised by a 3-stage
monitoring system
Initial screening
Conveyor for particle
1m3 bulk bag monitor
– 3000t of 4300t of concrete transported
as ‘free release’
– Saved capacity at LLWR and site VLLW
facilities
Serco Public
Innovation in Measurement Services
Example 2:
– IRAS Depth Profiler ™
– Delivers 1-mm resolution depth profile without the errors
introduced by mechanical core sectioning
– Collimated gamma spectrometer
– Analysis of drilled cores, either on site or in lab
– Pile 1 Chimney at Sellafield
30 cores
95% goodness of fitting
Serco Public
NDA DRP Frameworks
Recently reappointed on the
Direct Research Portfolio
– For example, Lot 3, Site Restoration
– Earlier rapid characterisation research
– Contaminated material that does not have a
reliable gamma fingerprint
– Demonstration of technologies
– Proposed forward programmes
Collation of data from site licence holders
Proposals and prioritisation of tasks
Dissemination of information
Serco Public
Waste Characterisation Service Delivery
Serco Public
Geographical Distribution
13
Excellent Coverage
1.
Westlakes
2.
Risley
Rapid Response
3.
Quedgeley
Reduced Carbon
4.
Harwell
5.
Winfrith
6.
Egremont
7.
Barrow
8.
Footprint
6 1
7
Malton
Additional Service
Capability
8
9
9.
Leyland
10.
Queensferry/Deeside
11.
Worcester
12.
Sittingbourne
13.
Dounreay
10 2
11
3
4
12
5
Serco Public
Safe Delivery
2011: RoSPA awarded President’s Award
– 10 successive years achieving their Gold Award
standard for Occupational Health & Safety
Embedded learning from 5 decades experience
– Continuously developing operational, behavioural and
observational safety processes and procedures
Excellent record of safe delivery
– Engaged in on-site activities on UK nuclear licensed
sites
– For example, 93,000+ man hours on a complex project
at Sellafield without a Lost Time Accident
Safety remains our number one priority as we
continue to work towards our Zero Harm goal
Serco Public
Key Messages
Organisation with an impeccable nuclear safety and assurance
pedigree
Appointed as a LLWR framework contractor, providing a full range of
waste characterisation services
Understand LLWR and its objectives through our ESC and RWI work
Understand the diverse range of LLWR customers
Research and Innovation
– Proven track record of waste characterisation research
– Ideas for the future
We are experienced, capable and committed to ensuring
successful delivery of these services
Serco Public
Key Contact for the Waste Characterisation Serv
Nick Stone
Waste Characterisation Framework Manager
Tel: 01946 518702
Mob: 0771 819 4877
E: [email protected]
Web: www.serco.com/tcs
Serco Public