Game Changers projects hit record high
A record 9 projects have been green-lit in one go by the Game Changers programme, which calls for innovative solutions to our challenges on the Sellafield site.
The Game Changers programme calls for innovative solutions to solve some of our most complex challenges. Note: This image was taken prior to the pandemic.
The 9 projects were chosen for funding from more than 40 entries, all showing an incredible high quality of ideas and innovation.
All 3 challenges called for innovative solutions to land remediation requirements.
Around 130 attendees from more than 70 organisations joined Game Changers webinars organised to detail 2 challenges - one focused on the characterisation of landfill and disposal areas, the other on making better use of existing in-ground monitoring infrastructure to develop better understanding of groundwater hydrology and subsurface contamination, especially around our Magnox Swarf Storage (MSSS).
The third challenge - the KTN-iX competition, launched by the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN), focused on leak mitigation and groundworks near sensitive structures. One of the central aspects of this challenge also focussed on the decommissioning of MSSS.
All the applications received were reviewed by a specialist panel of Sellafield Ltd experts and Game Changers team leaders.
Feasibility funding has been awarded to a total of 10 organisations working on 9 projects spread across the 3 challenges as follows:
Characterisation of landfill and disposal areas
University of Birmingham, Ground-Gas Solutions Ltd, ANAMAD Ltd and Hydrock working in partnership with Createc.
Groundwater monitoring
Hybrid Instruments Ltd, University of Liverpool and Gutteridge, Haskins and Davey Ltd.
Leak mitigation and groundworks near sensitive structures
Aubin Ltd and Resolute Engineering Services.
Each organisation will now use the funding to work with Sellafield Ltd to learn more about their challenge and shape their ideas, working towards a full business case.
John Heneghan, Contaminated Land Specialist at Sellafield Ltd, said:
We’ve been genuinely impressed both by the quality and the range of the technology presented in the applications. It made our job of selection very difficult but I’m confident we will see promising potential realised.
Game Changers is an innovation programme that identifies and develops cutting-edge technologies that could provide significant advances in nuclear science and engineering.
The programme is delivered by the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) and FIS360, specialists in supporting innovative technologies from concept through to commercial production.
Game Changers publish details of challenges on behalf of partner organisations; Sellafield Ltd, NNL and Dounreay.
The challenges are open to anyone from any sector who can offer a viable solution, from small and medium-sized enterprises to universities and large corporate organisations.
Solutions could be found in technologies already used in other sectors such as oil and gas or bio-engineering which could be developed for the nuclear arena. Ideas are submitted through a very simple application process.
To find out more visit the Game Changers website