Liquid radioactive waste arises from nuclear power plant processes and this radioactive liquid waste is harmful and therefore needs to be treated to reduce the risk to humans and the environment. To reduce the radioactivity of the liquid waste and make it safe for disposal, the Rotating Bed Reactor (RBR) has been developed by SpinChem AB. However, this treatment of liquid waste results in solid secondary radioactive waste in the form of spent ion exchange media. This ion exchange media can’t be further treated and therefore requires storage in a nuclear waste repository, which are controlled by nuclear waste management authorities. The authorities impose waste acceptance criteria that the solid waste must meet to be allowed to be disposed of in these facilities, to ensure that the solid waste will be disposed of safely.

Therefore, to ensure that the rotating bed reactor can be adopted as the treatment of radioactive liquid waste, the rotating bed reactor must prove it can meet the waste acceptance criteria. My project focused on determining whether the RBR can meet the acceptance criteria, specifically for the free liquid limit imposed which details the percentage of free liquid allowed to be present within the solid waste prior to disposal.

The PDP has taught me how to collaborate with multiple different people from different areas of a sector and how to conduct myself within a business setting. The PDP project has also taught me time management and personal responsibility.

Before starting my PDP, I had an interest in nuclear power and therefore it was important for me to try and find a PDP within that sector. The PDP has helped to further expand my interest in this sector and therefore nuclear is an area that I am keen to work in once I graduate.