Executive summary
Date(s) of inspection:
June 2025
Aim of inspection
The aim of this inspection was to judge compliance with Licence Conditions (LC) 32, 34 and 35 at EDF Energy's Heysham 2 Advanced Gas Cooled reactor station.
The inspection set out to sample evidence to inform a judgement on the adequacy of implementation of arrangements:
to ensure that the rate of production and total quantity of radioactive waste accumulated on the site is minimised so far as is reasonably practicable (LC 32).
to ensure that, so far as is reasonably practicable, radioactive material and radioactive waste on the site is at all times adequately controlled or contained so that it cannot leak or otherwise escape from such control or containment (LC 34).
for the decommissioning of any plant or process which may affect safety (LC 35).
Subject(s) of inspection
- LC32 - Accumulation of radioactive waste - Rating: Green
- LC34 - Leakage and escape of radioactive material and radioactive waste - Rating: Green
- LC35 - Decommissioning - Rating: Green
Key findings, inspector's opinions and reasons for judgement made
Licence Condition 32 requires the licensee to make and implement adequate arrangements for minimising, so far as is reasonably practicable, the rate of production and total quantity of radioactive waste on the site at any time, and for recording the waste so accumulated.
Heysham 2 (HYB) has a radiological fingerprint for each of its four waste streams generated on site and waste is segregated at source according to fingerprint, enabling effective downstream management of waste. Waste data are recorded in the online waste inventory, Cradle, which is used to plan waste consignments off-site for treatment and disposal, thereby minimising accumulations on the site. A Solid Radioactive Waste Management Plan provides a summary of planned work associated with management of the radioactive waste streams present on the site (including projected consignments), informed by data held in Cradle and in conjunction with plant walkdowns by waste engineers.
I observed an accumulation of solid low level waste in the Combined Active Waste Building which has arisen following a recent statutory reactor outage and fuel route outage and the consequent increase in rates of generating radioactive waste which requires processing and disposal. I observed inconsistent approaches to bagging of low level waste and examples of absent labelling of packages stored in waste handling areas. I have raised Level 4 Regulatory Issue RI-12627 to seek improvements to the arrangements for managing radioactive waste.
Licence Condition 34 requires the licensee to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that radioactive material and radioactive waste is at all times adequately controlled or contained and have sufficient confidence that leakage will not occur or other wise escape, and that no such leak or escape can occur without being detected.
Through sampling HYBs arrangements we found that the licensee has established the Active Effluent Treatment Plant Oversight Team, which is a cross-functional group to improve the safety, performance, and condition of the liquid radwaste systems that have a role in preventing leaks under LC 34. I found evidence that the Oversight Team tracks all active LC 34 leaks and significant defects associated with the Active Effluent Treatment Plant systems to ensure system health is monitored, maintained and improved. The Oversight Team demonstrated it is implementing a prioritised improvement programme for these systems, based on risk, by replacing systems, structures and components with modern, more reliable versions to improve safety performance. I considered the Oversight Team to be good practice and advised the licensee to consider formalising the group into its written arrangements.
Licence Condition 35 requires the licensee to make and implement adequate arrangements for the decommissioning of any plant or process which may affect safety.
Following recent life extension announcements by EDF Energy, HYB is anticipated to continue generating until 2030 with decommissioning expected to commence after Fuel Free Verification in 2033. Through sampling HYBs arrangements and documentation I found evidence that it has begun planning for revision and development of the required documentation following learning and experience from the AGRs already going through the process. The licensee provided evidence of its programme to determine and underpin the site decommissioning strategy and development of the site specific decommissioning plan, which will be supported by the corporate centre. I sampled evidence demonstrating HYB has made adequate progress in completing Lifetime Asset Management Plans for relevant buildings, which contain information to inform and support decommissioning planning, although I advised the licensee to accelerate, where reasonably practicable, other similar activities to support development of mature decommissioning plans at the earliest opportunity.
Conclusion
Overall, based on the evidence sampled, I judged the licensee to be minimising the accumulation of radioactive waste so far as is reasonably practicable, and to be maintaining adequate records for the waste, in line with LC 32. Although I identified shortfalls in the storage of radioactive waste in the Combined Active Waste Building, I recognise this is partly due to a backlog of waste arisen following the recent statutory outage and fuel route outage and I expect the licensee to be able to address these shortfalls within a reasonable timeframe via a Level 4 regulatory issue that I raised.
Based on the evidence sampled, I judged the licensee to be adequately controlling and containing radioactive material and radioactive waste, so far as is reasonably practicable, so that it cannot leak or otherwise escape, in line with LC34.
I judged the licensee to have in place an appropriate programme for decommissioning planning as required by LC35.
I am therefore consider a rating of ‘green’ for LC 32, 34 and 35 to be appropriate.