Galson Sciences (GSL), part of the Egis Group, along with its consortium partner and technology provider Thermachange Ltd, has successfully won one of two Asbestos Innovation Partnership (AIP) contracts. This is an initiative led by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and its subsidiary Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) to revolutionise asbestos waste management at the UK’s legacy nuclear sites, introducing cutting-edge solutions to enhance efficiency and reduce environmental impact. The REACT-2 team also includes key industry players and supply chain partners United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and Bouygues Energies & Services.
The AIP is focused on testing and developing innovative technologies to manage radioactive asbestos and asbestos-contaminated waste. Such waste is challenging due to its hazardous nature and expected to be generated in significant volumes during decommissioning of legacy nuclear facilities. Thermal treatment offers a transformative approach that denatures asbestos (destroying the fibrils), reducing the hazard posed by these materials. Benefits will include providing a route for problematic waste streams without current management options, diversion from existing disposal routes (with capacity restrictions) and there is potential for reuse within the nuclear fission and fusion energy industries of the silicate minerals, associated metallic waste and volatile radionuclides such as tritium. These changes will result in environmental improvements and cost savings to the NDA.
By participating in the AIP, GSL and consortium partner Thermachange Ltd, are at the forefront of efforts to better manage asbestos waste, aligning with Egis’s commitment to sustainability and technological innovation in environmental management.
Jenny Kent from GSL said: “We have been supporting the NDA estate’s efforts to manage problematic waste for many years from a strategic perspective and are delighted to play our part in moving one of these initiatives towards implementation.”
This initiative underscores the collaborative approach essential for advancing the UK’s waste management strategy. It also highlights the ongoing commitment of the NDA group to secure and cost-effective decommissioning of the UK’s oldest nuclear sites. The success of this partnership could serve as a benchmark for similar environmental efforts globally.