Innovative robotics trialled to tackle nuclear waste challenges

Innovative robotic solutions being trialled at Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) Oldbury site to tackle most challenging aspects of legacy waste management.

Oldbury nuclear decommissioning site is a trailblazer for robotics and other innovative approaches, with NRS deploying robotics trials in South Gloucestershire to tackle some of the most challenging aspects of legacy waste management, reducing risk to workers and improving efficiency.

Two complementary project trials are underway at the site. The first, led by NRS as part of the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (RAICo) collaboration, involves teleoperated robotic arms for handling fuel element debris (FED).

FED is the material that historically housed nuclear fuel during generation and was removed to allow for the nuclear fuel to be separated and dispatched to Sellafield for reprocessing. This material, which is safely stored on site, must now be carefully retrieved and sorted as part of the decommissioning process.   

The second is Auto-SAS, an autonomous sorting and segregation system; led by NRS, funded by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and delivered in collaboration with the NDA group and supply chain.

The main technology element is being delivered by ARCTEC, a global technology company that designs and manufactures 3D scanning hardware and software. Although both projects use robotics, they are solving different problems at different stages of waste management.

FED retrieval and sorting is an immediate operational challenge. NRS’s current approach to sorting FED requires people to work in demanding environments. The task involves operators suiting up in full PPE, and using manual tools with grippers on the end, operating over thick protective walls.

The trials are exploring whether a teleoperated robotic arm can give operators greater control while allowing them to work from a safer distance, reducing the need for direct human handling without disrupting the critical delivery path.