Tetronics wins multi-million pound contract from Sellafield to reduce nuclear waste and costs
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27 September 2022, Swindon, UK: Tetronics, a world leader in plasma arc systems focussed on decarbonising challenging industrial processes, has been awarded a contract under Sellafield’s Higher Activity Waste Thermal Treatment (HAWTT) programme, with a potential multi-million pound value.
Many higher active wastes – ranging from contaminated construction materials and clothing to consumables and packaging – have typically been “treated” by compaction followed by encapsulation in a cement-based ‘grout’ within 200-litre drums. Some items cannot be compacted meaning an inevitable increase in the overall volume of waste to be handled and stored.
The HAWTT programme, led by Sellafield Ltd but looking at the nationwide opportunity, will pilot Tetronics’ proven plasma technology to stabilise, encapsulate in glass and significantly reduce the volume of the final waste product. This reduction will help to meet the UK Nuclear Sector Deal’s target for a 20% decrease in decommissioning costs by 2030 by reducing the requirements for interim and final storage facilities to house this hazardous material.
Under the Tetronics process waste is fed into a sealed reactor and heated in a controlled environment using a plasma arc, created by either a single or multiple plasma devices. The process chemistry is designed to minimise other hazardous elements, melting the material, reducing its volume and leaving behind a stabilised, inert, vitrified material – much like glass.
Tetronics’ exclusive contract falls into Tranche 1 of the HAWTT programme, which is focussed primarily on solid, Plutonium Contaminated Materials (PCM). The contract is split into three phases, starting in Q2 2022:
1. Inactive prototype – for non-radioactive ‘surrogate’ materials, at Tetronics’ trials facility in Swindon;
2. Inactive pilot plant – processing inactive surrogate PCM materials (site TBC);
3. Active pilot plant – potential to manage annual arisings of active PCM waste, at Sellafield itself.
Upon successful completion of the pilots, the Thermal Treatment process would become part of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s integrated waste management strategy for the UK; potentially expanding the range and sources of contaminants treated – whether from NDA sites, from other UK operators, or from overseas.
Graeme Rumbol, Chief Executive of Tetronics, said: “We are proud to be selected as a sole supplier under the HAWTT pilot programme for the treatment of intermediate level, plutonium contaminated materials from the nuclear sector. The compact, inert waste produced by our plasma arc technology requires less storage space and associated monitoring; delivering significant cost savings across the NDA estate and beyond.
“We are especially excited to be engaging with Sellafield just as nuclear energy is undergoing a rapid renaissance; increasingly viewed as a long-term, net-zero baseload for a renewables-focussed generation mix. We also hope that, by applying our home-grown technology at or near the waste source, Tetronics will provide additional environmental and security-of-supply benefits.”
David Connolly, Sellafield Ltd Head of the HAWTT programme, added: “We are delighted to support innovation in smaller, dynamic, UK enterprises like Tetronics to, quite literally, reduce the environmental footprint of nuclear waste – especially as the sector rises to the triple challenges of energy sustainability, security and price.
“The HAWTT programme is, however, about more than just volume reduction. By working in genuine partnership with fast-paced technology developers, we have also radically reformed the procurement process; reaching this pilot stage at least one year sooner than typically achieved in the past. In short, this reduced space and time requirement can decrease future liabilities and costs – for governments, consumers, taxpayers and investors.”
Although still very much an SME, Tetronics is the most experienced plasma company in the world. It is founded on five decades of R&D and 127 patents (granted and pending), with over 20 years of operational expertise, across more than 95 global reference sites. The majority of these existing applications are in waste minimisation and resource recovery from challenging waste streams, including automotive or industrial catalysts, and decarbonisation of heat intensive manufacturing processes – such as steel, glass and cement. World class clients include Harsco, Hitachi-Zosen, Mitsubishi, Nippon Steel and Outokumpu.
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Editors notes
For further media information, or to arrange a briefing, please contact:
Justin Heath or Carmen Redfern
Resonates
Mbl. +44 7760 263269
Commercial contact:
Graeme Rumbol
Chief Executive
Tetronics Technologies Limited
Wk: +44 1793 379229
About Tetronics
Tetronics is a leading environmental technology company with over 55 years’ global experience delivering clean plasma technology for maximum resource recovery, the highest levels of hazardous material destruction, and decarbonisation of heat-intensive industrial processes – such as steel, glass and cement.
Tetronics’ resource recovery process generates an inert, robust and fully vitrified by-product, Plasmarok®, that has a wide range of commercial applications, particularly in construction.
Tetronics’ capabilities encompass everything from initial modelling/feasibility assessment, testing of process material at its own pilot facilities, through to design, supply, site installation/commissioning and ongoing support of full commercial plants.
Tetronics’ 95 reference sites are helping its multi-national clients meet the Net Zero agenda and the company has a strong pipeline of future projects in the relevant disciplines: CO2 reduction; sustainable energy supply; alternative fuels; process electrification; energy and critical mineral security.
About Sellafield
Sellafield Ltd is an organisation focused on creating a clean and safe environment for future generations. It operates the Sellafield Nuclear Licensed Site on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). From cleaning-up the country’s highest nuclear risks and hazards to safeguarding nuclear fuel, materials and waste, its work is nationally important.
It is the only organisation in the UK which can safely manage all three forms of nuclear waste: high, intermediate and low.
