A 'major' milestone has been reached at the Sellafield nuclear decommissioning project in Cumbria.

Specialised teams have now lifted the final skip of 'metal fuel' from the Pile Fuel Storage Pond.

This has resulted in radioactivity levels at the site now being cut by 70%.

Operators removed the fuel from 40-feet away, working behind radiation shields and using cameras with well-rehearsed procedures.

The removed fuel has been transferred to a modern storage building at Sellafield where it can be held in a far safer environment.

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Pete Lutwyche, the NDA’s Sellafield Programme Director, said: "This is a huge achievement in the decommissioning of Sellafield’s most hazardous facilities, and I congratulate the team on their commitment, dedication and hard work."

Paul Foster, MD of Sellafield, added: "Removing decades-old corroded fuel from an aging facility and placing into modern containment makes Sellafield, and the whole of the UK, a far safer place.

"The enormity of the challenge cannot be underestimated – the pond was built with no design for how its contents would be removed. We have had to retro-fit an export process and then safely execute it in one of the most challenging environments imaginable."

(LM)