Next step for decommissioning the College's reactor

by John-Paul Jones

06 February 2015

The College's Reactor Centre has entered the next stage in its decommissioning, as Imperial submits a formal application to the regulator.

Last year the Reactor Centre staff worked closely with the nuclear and environmental regulators to ensure the safe removal of the fuel. The next step in the administration of the process is an application to the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) for formal approval for decommissioning, to allow work to continue.

Our progress is down to the diligent work of the staff on the ground and the combined efforts of the various organisations who are supporting the process

– David Forbes

Project director for decommisioning the reactor

The process began in 2011 following the decision by the College Council to decommission the 100 kW CONSORT Reactor Mark II, following a significant decline in the volume of research conducted in the facility over the past decade and a half.

The decommissioning of the reactor, which is 10,000 times smaller than a nuclear power station, is a multi-staged process and will take over a decade to complete.

David Forbes, project director for decommissioning, said: “Even with such a small reactor, decommissioning is complex. Our progress is down to the diligent work of the staff on the ground and the combined efforts of the various organisations who are supporting the process Inside the Centre . Hopefully disruption on campus has been kept to a minimum but we’re very grateful to the campus community for their patience.”

As part of the formal application, the College has submitted an environmental statement to ONR, which presents an environmental impact assessment for the decommissioning project. This is available for the local community around Silwood Park to view in local libraries and on ONR’s website, with consultation concluding on 28 April 2015.

In 1961 demand for research and training facilities in nuclear science led to a programme for the provision of low-power nuclear reactors to be available to universities and technology colleges. Three reactors were approved in principle and the University of London decided that the reactor for the South East should be located at Imperial’s campus at Silwood Park.

The College’s Reactor Centre, which was designed jointly by staff from Imperial’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and General Electric Limited, commenced operation in April 1965, providing facilities for teaching and research in a number of fields of nuclear science and technology.

From the mid-1990s the volume of research conducted in this field declined dramatically. Despite extensive canvassing of academia, industry and business no substantial research, education, training or commercial uses for the reactor were forthcoming.

The College’s Council therefore concluded in 2011 that the substantial funds required to continue operation of the Reactor Centre could no longer be justified. It directed that the reactor be decommissioned and the facility has been out of operation since 2012 to allow the process to get underway.

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