Centre to help deal with nuclear waste
20 Nov 2012
A £1.2m centre to research the decontamination and safe storage of nuclear waste is being established at the University of Manchester in partnership with Sellafield.
The aim of the collaboration is to develop new technologies, as well as enhance current understanding of key existing nuclear technologies and develop effective and sustainable decontamination approaches.
The centre will support Sellafield’s Decontamination and Effluent Treatment Centre of Expertise by complimenting the University’s existing research work at the world leading Dalton Nuclear Institute.
It will also build on the research programmes at the University’s Centre for Radiochemistry Research and the Research Centre for Radwaste and Decommissioning.
[We want] to close the potential future skills gap in the nuclear industry
Alex Jenkins, technical specialist at Sellafield, said: “Sellafield is striving to significantly reduce the time and cost of the multi-billion pound decommissioning programme for the site by new developing technologies.
“We are looking at improved methods of decontamination and treating effluents and are working with the University of Manchester to develop research in this area and to efficiently focus skills and expertise in a bid to close the potential future skills gap in the nuclear industry.”
Over the next few years, 10 Ph.D. students will be recruited to interdisciplinary research projects that will address important challenges for the UK, particularly in the areas of nuclear decontamination and effluent treatment. The students will benefit from the taught programme of the EPSRC Nuclear FiRST Centre for Doctoral Training.
