UKAEA Secures Role In Europe's New Spallation Source

21st October 2021

UKAEA has been selected to supply the Hot Cell Remote Handling Facility for the new €1.8 billion European Spallation Source (ESS).

ESS is currently under construction in Sweden. The Hot Cell is a critical downstream support facility to handle and process components from the target station. The Hot Cell consists of handling equipment such as power manipulators and cranes, processing equipment for remote cutting and welding, shielding and transit cases, all fully remote-controlled via a central control system.

The design and development activities will be led within UKAEA by RACE - UKAEA's remote handling and robotics centre. In 2014 RACE (Remote Applications in Challenging Environments) was awarded government funding to construct a new facility and build on the extensive remote handling capabilities developed over 20 years at Culham in support of the JET European fusion research programme.

The UK's overall contribution to the ESS project is led by the Science & Technologies Facilities Council (STFC). Robert McGreevy, Director of the ISIS facility in STFC, said:We are delighted to have UKAEA and RACE, with their considerable experience in remote handling, leading this high-value work package for the UK.

Head of RACE, Rob Buckingham, said:Nuclear robotics has been identified as a key component of the UK Government's Robotics and Autonomous Systems strategy. Delivering the ESS Hot Cell supports this strategy and is good news for Britain’s robotics community.

RACE Head of Business Development Martin Townsend added: Our selection by ESS/STFC demonstrates our leading expertise in nuclear remote handling system design and unique operational remote maintenance experience. We look forward to working with the nuclear supply chain to deliver this exciting project.

European Spallation Source

The European Spallation Source (ESS) will be a multi-disciplinary research centre based on the world’s most powerful neutron source. Once constructed, in Lund, Sweden, it will provide new opportunities for researchers in a broad range of scientific areas including life sciences, energy, environmental technology, cultural heritage and fundamental physics.

Based on the same principle as ISIS - the UK’s neutron source - the ESS will be an accelerator-based facility producing neutrons for a large array of advanced instruments. It is one of Europe’s largest scientific projects. Construction started in July 2014, aiming at the source producing first neutrons around 2020.

The UK is a partner in construction of the ESS alongside around 16 other European countries, and has committed significant funding for construction. The Science & Technologies Facilities Council is managing the UK contribution to the ESS, which includes in-kind contributions to ESS construction.

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Remote handling expertise honed on JET