Industrial services experts from Biffa’s Specialist Services division have reached the halfway point of a 12-month project to safely remove hazardous waste from Uniper’s Ratcliffe on Soar power station site near Nottingham.
The power station closed in September 2024 after generating electricity for UK homes and businesses for almost 60 years. Since November 2024, more than 20 Biffa specialists, including industrial chemists and dangerous goods safety advisors, have supported the decommissioning of the power station’s water treatment plant and fuel oil system.
Using high-pressure water systems, DISAB vacuum systems and industrial tankers, the team are often said to be working at height or in confined spaces while wearing breathing equipment.
450 tonnes of hazardous material have been removed, including high-concentration sulphuric acid and fuel oil, which can be reused, as well as effluent and anionic and cationic resins. The next phase of decommissioning work will see the Biffa team dismantle and dispose of the power station’s catalyst bed.
James Bissell, Biffa’s head of tankers and industrial services, said: “Our expertise in industrial services, hazardous waste management and our commitment to health and safety have been critical in supporting the successful ongoing decommissioning of Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station.
“Rigorous safety protocols, the use of specialist equipment, and the strategic handling of hazardous materials have ensured the highest standards of compliance and environmental protection.
“From decommissioning the UK’s old power stations to supporting the construction of its newest nuclear plant, Biffa is playing a critical role in the UK’s journey to net zero.”
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