Westinghouse Westinghouse

Fuel Manufacturing

Fuel used in nuclear reactors in the UK and overseas to generate electricity is made at our Springfields site. The raw material used to make nuclear fuel is uranium rock mined all over the world, with the ore taken containing about 1.5% uranium. To concentrate the uranium content, the ore is ground, treated and purified using chemical and physical processes. This results in a uranium ore concentrate that contains around 80% uranium.

Overview

  • Springfields Fuels Limited is the site licence company for the Springfields site.
  • Springfields has been safely making nuclear fuel since 1946 and has the facilities to manufacture fuel for most types of nuclear reactors.
  • Springfields was the first plant in the world to make nuclear fuel for commercial power stations and has produced several million fuel elements, supplying products and services for reactors in 11 countries.
  • Around 32% of the UK’s low carbon electricity comes from fuel manufactured at Springfields.
  • Springfields was the first nuclear site in the UK to put a Biodiversity Action Plan in place to manage the site’s environmental areas, with the site containing two Biological Heritage Sites.

Advanced Nuclear Technology

The wide variety of advanced nuclear technologies and related industrial and medical applications currently under development will define the future of clean energy and nuclear medicine in the UK and globally. There are clear synergies apparent across these technologies, and their future deployment across power generation, industrial applications, nuclear clean-up and medical uses.

Capabilities

  • Nuclear licenced site with established operator serving UK and global markets
  • 80 hectares of secure premises with large areas available for development
  • Over 75 years’ experience in the manufacture of nuclear fuel and related products and services
  • Located in the north west of England, within the Northern Powerhouse and North West Nuclear Arc
  • Established links with universities and training providers, enabling you to accelerate the delivery of your technology
  • Recognised as a world leader in safety, quality, environmental and technological standards
  • Site licence allowing operations up to 100% U-235 enrichment across a wide range of facilities and capabilities related to fuel fabrication and nuclear materials management
  • An experienced nuclear operator with significant experience in complying with existing environmental permit requirements and applying for permit variations
  • Expertise in advanced manufacturing, robotic and digital technologies
  • Providing access to the National Nuclear Laboratory’s Nuclear Fuel Centre of Excellence (NFCE) and a COMAH (Control of Major Accident Hazards) site

Nuclear Materials Management

The Springfields facility will bring together a wide range of technologies through collaborations and partnerships with Westinghouse, which together will create a one-stop shop for nuclear materials management. Co-location at the park provides access to the full range of existing infrastructure and capabilities available. Sharing these facilities will allow the development of bespoke solutions to bring value to customers in the UK and globally.

Capabilities

  • Waste characterization and consignment capabilities
  • Receipt and storage facilities
  • Sort and segregation facilities
  • Metals decontamination facilities
  • Super-compaction capabilities
  • Waste treatment techniques including drum drying, cementation and water treatment
  • Large component segmentation capabilities
  • Water packaging capabilities including dry spent fuel storage

75 year history of operational excellence and innovation

Rapidly advancing across a range of fields

Springsfields provides a collaborative hub for demonstrating and accelerating the commercialisation of a broad range of nuclear-related technologies. Westinghouse is inviting technology developers, the supply chain and academia to co-locate and collaborate.

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