SIXEP Continuity Plant
The new SIXEP Continuity Plant will make sure that the Sellafield site will have continued availability of effluent treatment streams to reduce high hazard and risk reduction.
The proposed SIXEP Continuity Plant under construction
The challenge
The existing Site Ion Exchange Effluent Plant (SIXEP) which has been operational since 1985 removes radioactivity from various site effluent streams on the Sellafield site.
The Site Ion Exchange Effluent Plant (SIXEP) on the Sellafield site
It acts as the ‘kidneys’ of the site filtering out radioactive material before discharging to sea.
SIXEP is one of our key effluent treatment plants because of the role it plays in treating effluents from high hazard and risk reduction programmes from the First Generation Magnox Storage Pond and the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo.
The effluent treatment capability currently provided by the plant is needed until around 2060 and is fundamental to the delivery of the Magnox Operational Programme, Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor Programme and high hazard and risk reduction activities.
Due to the age of the original SIXEP, which was only designed to operate for 25 years, we need a facility that will take over the role of effluent treatment for the Sellafield site.
The solution
The solution is to build a new treatment plant to replace the existing facility.
That new facility is the SIXEP Continuity Plant (SCP), which will be an essential replacement for SIXEP. It’s 30+ years old with currently no backup and some single point failure mechanisms.
An external image of the proposed SIXEP Continuity Plant
A cut away of the proposed SIXEP Continuity Plant
SIXEP has an excellent track record, operating 24/7 and reducing the site’s environmental impact for the past 35 years.
The new plant will make sure that we have continued availability of effluent treatment for the future work of reducing high hazard and risk reduction activities.
The new facility is under construction north of the existing SIXEP facility. It will replace the current effluent treatment function of SIXEP itself, with modifications to the existing plant to allow effluent to be diverted to the new facility as soon as it’s been through active commissioning.
| Benefits: | The replacement SCP project is fundamental to high hazard risk reduction activities. |
| Status: | Currently under construction with an active commissioning date currently set at April 2029 |
| Collaboration: | The SIXEP Continuity Plant is being delivered by the Programme and Project Partners, which is made up of lot partners: - KBR (integration partner) - Jacobs (design and engineering partner) - Morgan Sindall Infrastructure (civils construction management partner) - Altrad (process construction management partner) - Sellafield Ltd as the 5th partner |
Progress so far
Major milestones that have already been achieved are:
- project baseline has been set and agreed
- detailed design gate passed with the SIXEP Continuity Plant described as best in class amongst other major projects on the Sellafield site
- final business case approved by the HM Treasury in December 2021, 3 months ahead of schedule
- completion of the foundation for Process and Services Building in February 2022 completed ahead of schedule.
- 12 new contracts awarded in 2021, including several key contracts to supply unique, highly complex plant and equipment
- main concrete slab constructed
- 3 tower cranes installed and supporting construction of concrete walls and structural steel frame installation
- approximately 5,000m3 of concrete installed in 2021 and first-phase steel work erected.
- final concrete slab pour completed in February 2022, ahead of schedule
- first 2 universal vessels were ready for testing in June 2022, ahead of schedule
- construct services building (steelwork installation completed in September 2022
- design for manufacturing came to an end in December 2022, moving to phase 3. ‘support to completions’ scope delivered by Programme and Project Partners
- the remaining procurement packages were placed in 2022
- 4 tanks and vessels have been installed in the service building
Next steps
Cladding and installation of the civil block work has started in the service building.
This will lead to the second project wide milestone ‘making the services building weather proof’ in March 2024.
Project snapshot
Progress videos
The SIXEP Continuity Plant crane lift
The SIXEP Continuity Plant - construction animation
Further reading:
Green rating shows confidence in Sellafield infrastructure delivery
Major projects progress leads to milestone for SIXEP Continuity Plant
The SIXEP continuity Plant success shows future for our project delivery
Major projects progress is transforming Sellafield’s skyline