News & Events
RWE NUKEM assists AWE in the closure of the Pangbourne Pipeline
31 March 2005
As part of its commitment to continuing environmental improvement, the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE plc) officially closed the Pangbourne Pipeline on 16 March.
The official valve-closing ceremony took place at AWE’s Aldermaston site and was performed by Sir John Harman, Chairman of the Environment Agency.
Sir John Harman praised AWE both for completing the closure of the Pangbourne Pipeline on time and for the company’s success in minimising the waste it generates. AWE Managing Director, Bill Haight's speech he said: "Construction of the new waste treatment plant, by RWE NUKEM, has been completed to an extremely tight programme and this has been achieved with an excellent safety record."
Ken Jackson, RWE NUKEM Director for Major Projects, attended the ceremony and commented that the team had done a great job in a short space of time. This had been possible because a real effort had been made by both client and contractor to ensure everyone was pulling in the same direction. This not only produced the required result but had been a satisfying experience for all who had worked so hard.
For over half a century the Pangbourne Pipeline has formed part of AWE’s liquid waste management system. Since 1952 the 18.5 kilometre pipeline has carried
pre-treated wastewater from the Aldermaston site for dispersal in the River Thames.
A new wastewater treatment plant at AWE Aldermaston, which has been built to industry leading standards by RWE NUKEM will replace the pipeline. RWE NUKEM was contracted by AWE to design, install, commission and demonstrate the performance of the new Waste Water Treatment Plant to serve the AWE Aldermaston site. The plant uses evaporation and reverse osmosis filtration to treat the aqueous effluent arisings. Cutting edge technology is utilised to remove trace levels of radioactivity from wastewater to exceptionally stringent standards. Material removed by this process will be solidified and disposed of at the Drigg National Disposal Facility in Cumbria.
Paul Gilmour, Project Manager commented, “To meet the timescale has been a tough target, the teamwork between RWE NUKEM and the AWE project team has made a key contribution to the success of the project. We have also worked very hard, along with our main construction subcontractor, Kier construction to maintain safe working practises and a superb safety record. Innovation at the design stage and integral safety case production also helped to bring the actual programme ahead of the contract programme. We have worked to a construction target programme some five months ahead of the contract programme to provide float for the unforeseen issues that can arrive during construction/commissioning.