The SIXEP Continuity Plant (SCP) at Sellafield has reached a significant milestone, with teams completing a series of major crane lifts. The project, being built through the Programme and Project Partners (PPP), is now three-quarters complete and is scheduled to begin operations in 2029.
The main buildings of the SCP are finished, and work is now focused on fitting out the interior and installing specialist equipment. Recent installations included 14 pump and valve modules, each weighing 16 tonnes, and a 55-tonne gantry crane spanning 21 metres.
Once operational, the SCP will take over from the existing Site Ion Exchange Effluent Plant (SIXEP), which has been in service since 1985. The plant's role is to remove radioactive material from water used in site operations before its safe discharge to sea, a function described as keeping the process running safely.
Steve Harnwell, PPP's managing director, stated that seeing the plant's operational equipment arrive on site after years of design, engineering, and manufacturing was a delight. He added that installing this equipment on a nuclear site required thorough planning from the teams.
The new plant is expected to continue its work until at least 2060, supporting Sellafield's mission to reduce risk and deliver its long-term clean-up programme.