Urenco UK Ltd

Background

The Urenco UK Ltd Capenhurst site is located approximately 10km to the north of Chester. The licence holder is Urenco UK Ltd. Following completion of the site integration project and the issue of a new site licence in November 2012, the former Sellafield limited Capenhurst site was integrated into the enlarged Urenco UK Ltd site. The site contains a number of facilities which comprise:

• Three enrichment plants, which enable nuclear power stations around the world to generate electricity. The largest of the three plants, E23, produces more than 80% of the facility’s enrichment capacity.
• Cylinder storage rafts and Container Receipt and Dispatch (CRD) building.
• Other support facilities such as workshops, uranium residues store, chemical laboratories, fire station and the site emergency control centre.
• A tenant organisation, Urenco ChemPlants Limited, operates a Tails Management Facility (TMF). The process plants within the Tails Management Facility will convert depleted uranium hexafluoride, UF6  "Hex Tails" to the lower hazard U3O8 material, for long term storage. "Hex Tails" arising from Capenhurst and Urenco facilities in Holland and Germany will be processed at Capenhurst in the TMF, with U3O8 being returned to Holland and Germany.
• A tenant organisation, Urenco Nuclear Stewardship Limited, will continue the mission of the former Sellafield Limited Capenhurst licensed site, receiving and storing uranium oxide, as well as storing UF6 "Hex Tails", pending treatment in the TMF facility. Decommissioning and solid waste disposals will continue on this part of the site.