-
Markets
Power & renewables
Nuclear
-
Location
Cumbria, England
-
Client
Sellafield Ltd
-
Collaborators
Cavendish Nuclear, Taylor Kightley Engineering, UKAEA
The Challenge
Gloveboxes are essential for handling radioactive materials safely, but they can pose
a risks to human operators during their operation and decommissioning generating
a need to reduce direct human interaction with these environments.
Traditional Post-Operational Clean-Out (POCO) methods required operators
to work in close proximity to contaminated materials, increasing the risk of exposure
to radiological hazards and limiting operational efficiency.
Please note that you are now leaving the AtkinsRéalis website (legal name: AtkinsRéalis Group inc.) and entering a website maintained by a third party (the "External Website") and that you do so at your own risk.
AtkinsRéalis has no control over the External Website, any data or other content contained therein or any additional linked websites. The link to the External Website is provided for convenience purposes only. By clicking "Accept" you acknowledge and agree that AtkinsRéalis is not responsible, and does not accept or assume any responsibility or liability whatsoever for the data protection policy, the content, the data or the technical operation of the External Website and/or any linked websites and that AtkinsRéalis is not liable for the terms and conditions (or terms of use) of the External Website. Further, you acknowledge and agree that you assume all risks resulting from entering and/or using the External Website and/or any linked websites.
BY ENTERING THE EXTERNAL WEBSITE, YOU ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT YOU COMPLETELY AND IRREVOCABLY WAIVE ANY AND ALL RIGHTS AND CLAIMS AGAINST ATKINSRÉALIS, AND RELEASE, DISCHARGE, INDEMNIFY AND HOLD HARMLESS ATKINSRÉALIS, ITS OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, DIRECTORS AND AGENTS FROM ANY AND ALL LIABILITY INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LIABILITY FOR LOSS, DAMAGES, EXPENSES AND COSTS ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH ENTERING AND/OR USING THE EXTERNAL WEBSITE AND/OR ANY LINKED WEBSITES AND ANY DATA AND/OR CONTENT CONTAINED THEREIN.
Such waiver and release specifically includes, without limitation, any and all rights and claims pertaining to reliance on the data or content of the External Website, or claims pertaining to the processing of personal data, including but not limited to any rights under any applicable data protection statute. You also recognize by clicking “Accept” that the terms of this disclaimer are reasonable.
The information provided by Virtua Research cited herein is provided “as is” and “as available” without warranty of any kind. Use of any Virtua Research data is at a user’s own risk and Virtua Research disclaims any liability for use of the Virtua Research data. Although the information is obtained or compiled from reliable sources Virtua Research neither can nor does guarantee or make any representation or warranty, either express or implied, as to the accuracy, validity, sequence, timeliness, completeness or continued availability of any information or data, including third-party content, made available herein. In no event shall Virtua Research be liable for any decision made or action or inaction taken in reliance on any information or data, including third-party content. Virtua Research further explicitly disclaims, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any warranty of any kind, whether express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement.
The consensus estimate provided by Virtua Research is based on estimates, forecasts and predictions made by third party financial analysts, as described above. It is not prepared based on information provided by AtkinsRéalis and can only be seen as a consensus view on AtkinsRéalis' possible future results from an outside perspective. AtkinsRéalis has not provided input on these forecasts, except by referring to past publicly disclosed information. AtkinsRéalis does not accept any responsibility for the quality or accuracy of any individual or average of forecasts or estimates. This web page contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by third parties. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between AtkinsRéalis' actual future results, financial situation, development or performance, and the estimates given here.
The Solution
To address this challenge, AtkinsRéalis partnered with Sellafield Ltd, in collaboration with supply chain specialists and research organizations. to develop and deploy the RrOBO Active Demonstrator (AD) project. At the heart of the initiative is ARGO (Atkins Remote Glovebox Operations), a robotic arm and manipulator platform pioneered by AtkinsRéalis. ARGO enables remote, precise, and safe glovebox activities, removing operators from direct contact with hazardous materials. The system was deployed into two gloveboxes on site at the MOX Active Demonstration Facility, where it performed a complex series of tasks, while maintaining full containment integrity.
Key features of the solution include:
- Remote robotic manipulation for high-precision tasks
- Integrated safety case development and assurance led by AtkinsRéalis
- Agile delivery model under the Decommissioning Mindset Arrangement (DMA 005)
- Collaborative operation between ADAPT engineers and Sellafield operators to ensure realism and scalability
Removing hands from gloveboxes is a key challenge for the nuclear industry and we're proud to be helping drive change and improve safety. This collaboration is a great demonstration of how solutions from other industries can be integrated into the nuclear sector in a lean and agile manner. By driving innovation, we can make nuclear operations safer and more efficient.
Mark Blair
Market Director – Decommissioning
The Results
Given the number of gloveboxes at the Sellafield site, the initial innovative study and sandpit phase has involved recording the characteristics of each glovebox and then undertaking a process to down-select the gloveboxes best suited for robotic application. Typically, these are the gloveboxes that involve high-risk activities such as handling of sharp objects.
A sandpit phase is concluding, which has trialed the robotic technologies to the limits of their capabilities.
Learnings from the study and sandpit will be used to develop a robotic toolbox for active trialing on Post Operational Clear Out (POCO) and decommissioning tasks.
The RrOBO project has delivered outstanding results:
- Completed four months ahead of schedule
- Delivered significantly under budget
- Demonstrated the viability of robotic glovebox operations
- Provided valuable insights into glovebox ergonomics, contamination control, and remote tooling
The success of this project sets a new benchmark for both innovation and collaboration in nuclear decommissioning. It also shows the value of human-robot collaborationand lays the foundation for broader deployment
RrOBO Operator training
What’s Next
The project team recommends further deployments of ARGO and continued development to support a wider range of glovebox configurations. This approach will help accelerate decommissioning timelines, reduce risk to personnel, and enhance operational efficiency across the UK’s nuclear legacy estate.
Please note that you are now leaving the AtkinsRéalis website (legal name: AtkinsRéalis Group inc.) and entering a website maintained by a third party (the "External Website") and that you do so at your own risk.
AtkinsRéalis has no control over the External Website, any data or other content contained therein or any additional linked websites. The link to the External Website is provided for convenience purposes only. By clicking "Accept" you acknowledge and agree that AtkinsRéalis is not responsible, and does not accept or assume any responsibility or liability whatsoever for the data protection policy, the content, the data or the technical operation of the External Website and/or any linked websites and that AtkinsRéalis is not liable for the terms and conditions (or terms of use) of the External Website. Further, you acknowledge and agree that you assume all risks resulting from entering and/or using the External Website and/or any linked websites.
BY ENTERING THE EXTERNAL WEBSITE, YOU ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT YOU COMPLETELY AND IRREVOCABLY WAIVE ANY AND ALL RIGHTS AND CLAIMS AGAINST ATKINSRÉALIS, AND RELEASE, DISCHARGE, INDEMNIFY AND HOLD HARMLESS ATKINSRÉALIS, ITS OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, DIRECTORS AND AGENTS FROM ANY AND ALL LIABILITY INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LIABILITY FOR LOSS, DAMAGES, EXPENSES AND COSTS ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH ENTERING AND/OR USING THE EXTERNAL WEBSITE AND/OR ANY LINKED WEBSITES AND ANY DATA AND/OR CONTENT CONTAINED THEREIN.
Such waiver and release specifically includes, without limitation, any and all rights and claims pertaining to reliance on the data or content of the External Website, or claims pertaining to the processing of personal data, including but not limited to any rights under any applicable data protection statute. You also recognize by clicking “Accept” that the terms of this disclaimer are reasonable.
The information provided by Virtua Research cited herein is provided “as is” and “as available” without warranty of any kind. Use of any Virtua Research data is at a user’s own risk and Virtua Research disclaims any liability for use of the Virtua Research data. Although the information is obtained or compiled from reliable sources Virtua Research neither can nor does guarantee or make any representation or warranty, either express or implied, as to the accuracy, validity, sequence, timeliness, completeness or continued availability of any information or data, including third-party content, made available herein. In no event shall Virtua Research be liable for any decision made or action or inaction taken in reliance on any information or data, including third-party content. Virtua Research further explicitly disclaims, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any warranty of any kind, whether express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement.
The consensus estimate provided by Virtua Research is based on estimates, forecasts and predictions made by third party financial analysts, as described above. It is not prepared based on information provided by AtkinsRéalis and can only be seen as a consensus view on AtkinsRéalis' possible future results from an outside perspective. AtkinsRéalis has not provided input on these forecasts, except by referring to past publicly disclosed information. AtkinsRéalis does not accept any responsibility for the quality or accuracy of any individual or average of forecasts or estimates. This web page contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by third parties. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between AtkinsRéalis' actual future results, financial situation, development or performance, and the estimates given here.
Downloads
Nuclear
PDF, 1MBNuclear Digital Technologies
PDF, 1.6MB