THORP

The Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) began operating in March 1994. Initial planning consent to build THORP was given following the 100-day Windscale Inquiry in 1977. Built at a cost of £2.9Bn and paid for by advance payments from BNFL’s customers, THORP has a design throughput rate of 1200 tonnes per year. The plant was to run at a ‘prudent’ 600 tonnes per year, allowing for safety margins. This was subsequently upgraded to 700 tonnes per year, with ¾ of Thorp’s total orders coming from overseas.

THORP has a full order book for its first 10 years of operation, known as the baseload, in which BNFL has contracted to reprocess almost 7000 tonnes of fuel. Japan is the biggest consumer in terms of tonnage, with UK next. Of European customers, Germany is the largest, followed by Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands. For the post-baseload period (the second 10 years) contracts have been placed only by UK utilities and by Germany. Within a year of start-up German utilities cancelled some of their post-baseload contracts, no new overseas contracts have been won, and a question mark hangs over the security of the remaining post-baseload contracts particularly those from Germany whose Government plans to abandon nuclear power.

After 5 years of operation THORP had reprocessed just over 1800 of the baseload 7000 tonnes. Dogged with teething problems, recurring accidents and breakdowns, the plant had fallen behind its original baseload schedule, and was closed down for 5 month periods in both 1998 and 1999.