Sellafield has made a major breakthrough in one of its most challenging decommissioning programmes.

Operators have removed the first zeolite skip from Sellafield’s First Generation Magnox Storage Pond, in a triple first for the clean-up of the site.

The team had also managed to put a nuclear waste product into a British-manufactured self-shielded box and store it securely at Sellafield's Interim Storage Facility.

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Zeolites were added to the pond in the 1970s and 1980s to absorb radiation, making the facility safer for personnel.

However, their removal is critical for the clean-up of the pond.

With 236 more of these skips to eliminate, the process represents a quarter of the entire pond clean-up operation.

Carl Carruthers, head of legacy ponds for Sellafield Ltd, said: "This is a fantastic achievement and a real step forward for us.

"Removing zeolite skips from the pond and transferring them to safer storage reduces risk and hazard on the site.

"It also frees up space in the pond which makes our sludge removal and clean-up work easier."

The 29 tonne self-shielded boxes that hold the waste are built by Goodwin International, under contract with Westinghouse.

Once waste is placed inside, it's inspected regularly using remote cameras integrated into the box lid.

In the future, the zeolites will be taken from the boxes and encapsulated, then sent to the UK's Geological Disposal Facility.

The First Generation Magnox Storage has been prioritised by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) for clean-up.

NDA group performance assurance director David Redpath said: "This accomplishment is not only a first for Sellafield, but a world’s first for the nuclear industry.

"It is a true testament to the hard work and commitment of all those involved.

"The implementation of this new capability is a key step in reducing the hazard posed by the legacy ponds and demonstrates the strong collaboration between Sellafield and its supply chain."

Nuclear operations director for Sellafield Ltd, Roddy Miller, said: "This has been a huge effort involving many different teams at Sellafield.

"It’s another iconic moment in our decommissioning journey and follows the start of waste retrievals from our two legacy silos."