Langfields Achieve Major Milestone in Nuclear Decommissioning Vessels Project

A success 5 years in the making.

This month saw us take a major step towards completion with the tanks now in their final position awaiting hydro testing and final installation works on one of the biggest projects we’ve ever undertaken.
A 78.5m³ process drains tank and a 130m3 pumping tank for the nuclear decommissioning sector.

Five years ago, we began the process of manufacturing and installing replacement tanks for the effluent treatment cell at the UK nuclear decommissioning site, Sellafield in Cumbria.

To ensure structural integrity, and safety, throughout the lifetime of the product, both vessels were manufactured from 316 stainless steel to prevent environmental contamination from the nuclear effluent and provide peace of mind for nuclear decommissioning authority.

Getting the vessels from our facility in Salford and into position on site was no mean feat, the process even required us to widen the doors of our workshop.

The journey from Salford to Sellafield began when the completed process drains tank received a police escort to our Oldham storage facility.

At 6 meters wide, the tank was manufactured and transported in two parts.

Once the site was ready for the tanks, work began moving them from Oldham to Sellafield.

The tanks were carefully transported to site via layovers at Rivington and Tebay services before being received on site by the Sellafield ADT site team.
With all items now on-site, it was time to get everything into position.
The two sections of the pumping tank were welded together on-site by our expert site services team inside a dessa tent.

Once welded together, the now complete pumping tank was craned over the effluent treatment building and onto a self-propelled modular transport to be placed into the effluent treatment cell.

The process drains tank was lifted into a dessa tent for the final vessel supports to be welded into place before finally being moved into final position within the ETC with the pumping tank.

A massive well done to everyone involved in this project from the build, the transport and the installation works. There is no margin for error in nuclear, everything must be completed to the highest standard and attention to detail is paramount which makes us additionally proud to have been trusted to deliver such an important project.