'Most challenging' nuclear clear-up starts

The 29-tonne self-shielded boxes are placed at Sellafield’s new interim storage facility

The first skip of nuclear waste has been removed as part of one of the "most challenging" phases of the clear-up at Sellafield.

The zeolite skip is the first of 236 to be removed from the Magnox storage pond at the site on the Cumbrian coast.

Zeolites were placed in the pond in the 1970s and 80s to help absorb radiation.

This is the first nuclear waste to be put into a new, British-made storage container - known as a self-shielded box - and to be placed at Sellafield's interim storage facility.

The waste will eventually be removed from the boxes and sent to the planned Geological Disposal Facility.

Sellafield said the removal of the first zeolite skip was one of the "most challenging" phases of the clear-up

Carl Carruthers, head of legacy ponds for Sellafield Ltd, said: “Removing zeolite skips from the pond and transferring them to safer storage reduces risk and hazard on the site.

“It also frees up space in the pond which makes our sludge removal and clean-up work easier.”

The zeolite skips account for a quarter of the total number of containers in the pond.

Once waste is placed inside the 29-tonne self-shielded boxes it is checked regularly using remote cameras in the box lid.