Costain Begins £70M Trawsfynydd Nuclear Dismantling Project
Costain has been awarded a £70 million contract to dismantle the Trawsfynydd nuclear power station in Wales. The project involves reducing the height of the two main reactor buildings by half and removing 15,000 cubic meters of concrete and brickwork. Two large cranes, each heavier than a Boeing 747, will be used for the extraction.
The Trawsfynydd site, which began generating electricity in 1965 with its 392 MWe Magnox reactor, ceased operations in 1991. All nuclear fuel was removed by 1997. Costain's work, planned to be completed by the end of 2023, follows previous enabling works the company carried out at the site.
The project is significant as Trawsfynydd is the 'lead and learn' facility for the UK's Magnox reactor decommissioning program. Methods, safety protocols, and data gathered here will inform and create efficiencies for the subsequent decommissioning of 10 other Magnox sites across the UK. The project is expected to take approximately four years to complete.
Costain's £70 million contract to dismantle the Trawsfynydd nuclear power station is underway. The project, expected to take four years, will reduce the height of the two main reactor buildings by half and remove 15,000 cubic meters of concrete and brickwork. The insights gained will benefit the decommissioning of 10 other Magnox sites in the UK.
