I am advised by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland — RPII — that there is considerable research and development on the use of robots in hostile environments for the protection of workers and others, with many of these robots being designed for specific functions including work in highly radioactive environments.
I am informed by the RPII that British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. has recently developed a robot which will be used to facilitate the decommissioning of the highly radioactive caesium extraction plant, CEP, at Sellafield. The CEP was constructed in 1955 to produce radiotherapy sources and operated until 1958 when it was placed on a care and maintenance basis. It consists of four highly contaminated cells containing a variety of chemical equipment. This decommissioning is due to commence in 1999 and will remove all highly contaminated structures, plant and equipment, leaving only low levels of radioactivity. Decommissioning is expected to be completed in four years and will not, I am assured by the RPII, pose any risk to the health and safety of the public in Ireland.
BNFL has plans also to develop robots for other decommissioning activities at Sellafield, including decommissioning of the damaged Windscale reactor pile. It is the view of the RPII that the development and use of robots in radioactive environments should be encouraged on the basis that it will contribute to the safety of workers and will assist in the decommissioning of old disused plants at Sellafield.