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<p>Amentum’s ThreadSafe project is showing the potential to revolutionise the way Sellafield Ltd manages Nuclear Safety Cases, improving efficiency in change management. Through a successful feasibility phase, ThreadSafe has already demonstrated its potential to automate complex information management tasks, reduce risk, and accelerate decision-making. With a 16-week Proof of Concept (PoC) now underway, the project aims to deliver a bespoke, scalable solution that provides a robust and verifiable “golden thread” across the entire safety case lifecycle.</p><h2>The Challenge: Making the Golden Thread Truly Golden</h2><p>Nuclear Safety Cases underpin every operational decision at Sellafield Ltd. They provide the evidence that hazards are controlled, operations are safe, and risks are reduced to as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP). Yet these cases are built on extensive, constantly changing documentation, a range of formats, and extensive manual cross-checking.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.gamechangers.technology/challenge/Improvement_of_information_management_in_Nuclear_Safety_Cases" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Improvement of information management in Nuclear Safety Cases&nbsp;challenge</a>, launched&nbsp;in July 2024, aimed to strengthen the accuracy and visibility of the Safety Case “golden thread,” reduce the time and cost of developing and maintaining cases, and introduce automation to free specialists from manual checking. It also sought to improve change control – ensuring a single update triggers all necessary revisions – and to deliver a solution compatible with existing Safety Cases and varied legacy formats.</p><p>For Sellafield Ltd, improving Safety Case management is essential to accelerating its mission. Reducing manual effort, tightening consistency, and enabling data-driven updates all contribute directly to safer, faster and more efficient operations.</p><h2>The Technology: Secure, Smart, and Purpose-Built</h2><p>Amentum’s ThreadSafe stood out among the challenge applicants, with its proposal selected for a feasibility study. Unlike off-the-shelf systems, ThreadSafe offers a bespoke, Sellafield-directed capability built around a secure, on-premise architecture designed to operate within sensitive environments.</p><p>The technology automatically identifies and maps relationships between engineering requirements, safety arguments, operational instructions, and associated documents using an ontology-driven, graph-based approach. Rather than acting as another document management tool, ThreadSafe is designed as a powerful information management system – treating information as an asset and enabling users to see contextualised links across multiple formats and repositories.</p><h2>Feasibility Success: Rapid Delivery and Early Impact</h2><p>Amentum delivered an early Minimum Viable Product within weeks – precisely the rapid turnaround the challenge owners hoped for. The working prototype showcased the core features required to demonstrate feasibility, including relationship mapping, automated insights and a functional user interface.</p><p>By sitting alongside existing Sellafield systems, ThreadSafe proved it could be integrated without major disruption and could enhance, rather than replace, established processes. Feedback loops with Sellafield’s safety case professionals ensured that improvements were immediately incorporated, accelerating the tool’s maturity.</p><h2>Next Steps: A 16-Week PoC to Deliver a Working System</h2><p>Amentum is now midway through a 16-week agile PoC, focused on refining ThreadSafe into a fully functioning system tailored for Sellafield’s needs. Sellafield’s challenge owners describe the potential impact as <em>“genuinely game-changing”</em> – cutting time spent on checks, improving consistency, and enabling quicker, more informed decisions.</p><p>As one Safety Case owner noted: <em>“It’s been great to see the initial system developing so quickly – we can already see how it will support us in our work.”</em></p><p>James Moore, Decommissioning Technology Oversight, Remediation, Sellafield Ltd, summarised the opportunity: <em>“We believe ThreadSafe can provide this capability.”</em></p><p>If successful, ThreadSafe could become a model not just for Safety Cases, but for managing complex, interlinked information across the Sellafield estate and beyond.</p>

<p>Amentum’s ThreadSafe project is transforming Sellafield Ltd’s Nuclear Safety Cases by automating document management, improving accuracy, traceability, and change control.</p>

ThreadSafe – transforming the golden thread of Nuclear Safety Cases

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<p>A suite of innovative feasibility projects has been selected to improve solutions for one of Sellafield’s most persistent decommissioning challenges: moving waste materials within the Magnox Swarf Storage Silos (MSSS). The <a href="https://www.gamechangers.technology/challenge/Moving_waste_materials_within_storage_silo_compartments" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">challenge</a> – seeking new ways to avoid or manage crater formation and improve real-time imaging of waste beds to improve the performance of the current retrievals process – closed on 28 August, drawing a wave of fresh ideas. Five applications have been chosen for feasibility funding, with projects kicking off in mid-November.</p><p>The work aims to enhance or rethink how waste is retrieved from silo compartments, enabling a flatter waste bed, safer operations, and more predictable excavation. Proposed solutions span robotic manipulators, buoyant grabbers, advanced imaging, and enhanced mechanical access systems.&nbsp;</p><h2>CRGI Solutions – Excavator Far-End Assist (EFEA)&nbsp;</h2><p>CRGI is developing a retrofit system intended to extend the reach of existing silo excavators to access difficult corners currently beyond central-point retrieval tools. The feasibility project will explore how the EFEA could improve access to residual cavities, help level waste layers, and reduce the risk of grabber entrapment, aiming to support safer and more complete waste removal.</p><h2>Forth Engineering (Cumbria) Ltd – Buoyancy Bag Mobile Grabber&nbsp;</h2><p>Forth is designing a manoeuvrable, thruster-equipped buoyancy-bag platform, incorporating a camera, spreader beam, and grabber. The feasibility study will test how the device could travel to remote areas within silos to reposition waste centrally for existing tools, potentially enabling full-area coverage and improved real-time imaging of the waste bed.&nbsp;</p><h2>Veolia Nuclear Solutions UK Ltd – SEP Waste Manipulator&nbsp;</h2><p>Veolia is exploring adaptations of its long-reach carbon-fibre manipulators for the project, to be used in waste movement, clearing, and inspection. The feasibility study will assess the potential reach of an existing manipulator and how it could be installed. This assessment will leverage VR digital-twin integration to enhance planning and operator situational awareness, while also evaluating the potential for tooling to support retrieval, cleaning, and size reduction.</p><h2>Brokk UK Ltd – Brokk Arm System&nbsp;</h2><p>Brokk is testing a concept based on its electric/hydraulic robots, designed to operate in hazardous settings. The feasibility project will examine how a standalone arm configuration could provide precise excavation and waste-handling capabilities, keeping operators at a safe distance and improving operational reliability within challenging silo environments.</p><h2>Taylor Kightley Engineering Co. Ltd – Underwater LIDAR &amp; Blast Centralisation&nbsp;</h2><p>Taylor Kightley is developing a combined approach using underwater LIDAR imaging and a water- or gas-blast system. The feasibility study will assess how these technologies could map waste surfaces accurately and actively re-centre dispersed material, supporting a level waste bed and potentially improving the predictability and efficiency of retrieval operations.&nbsp;</p><p>These feasibility studies will help shape the next generation of waste-retrieval technology at Sellafield, underpinning safer, more predictable and more efficient decommissioning operations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Five feasibility projects are exploring advanced robotics, imaging, and handling technologies to improve waste retrieval from Sellafield’s Magnox Swarf Storage Silos, enhancing safety, efficiency, and predictability while reducing operational risks and potential costs.</p>

Five novel feasibility projects launched to tackle Sellafield’s silo waste challenge

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<p>The University of Bristol’s Hot Robotics long-range alpha imaging project has taken a major step forward with successful demonstrations in August and September 2025. Using ultra-sensitive cameras, the VisionAlpha camera system detected and localised alpha contamination both on-site and in a mock SNM store, proving its potential to make nuclear operations safer and more efficient.</p><h2>Transformational Technology for Safer Alpha Detection</h2><p>Alpha-emitting materials such as uranium, plutonium and americium pose long-standing challenges for nuclear operators. Traditional detectors require personnel to work very close to potential contamination, increasing exposure risk and slowing surveys.</p><p>The University of Bristol’s system uses <em>alpha-induced fluorescence</em>, capturing the ultra-faint ultraviolet light produced when alpha particles excite nitrogen molecules in the air. Its ultra-sensitive cameras can detect this fluorescence from many metres away, allowing contamination to be identified remotely with millimetric precision. The system promises to reduce personnel dose uptake, accelerate survey operations, and lower costs – benefiting nuclear facilities, waste management, environmental monitoring, and defence applications.</p><h2>From Feasibility Study to Proof-of-Concept</h2><p>The project began with a 12-week feasibility study completed in March 2023. Following positive results, Game Changers funded a 12-month proof-of-concept (PoC) project starting in January 2024. During this time, the team also progressed through the Innovate UK ICURe programme, completing EXPLORE in January 2025 and gaining entry to ICURe EXPLOIT with business advisor/commercialisation support from FIS360’s Helen Bayram and Stuart Brown.</p><h2>Demonstrations Highlight Real-World Impact</h2><p>The first demonstration tested the camera on-site in an area of known alpha contamination. The system successfully localised contamination from safe distances, validating laboratory findings and confirming operational readiness.</p><p>A second demonstration explored potential applications for stored nuclear materials. Using a mock-up Special Nuclear Materials (SNM) store, the team simulated alpha contamination on cans within storage channels. The camera accurately identified contamination at varying distances and intensities without the need to remove cans – a capability that could save millions in operational costs, reduce risk to operators, and streamline planning at facilities such as Sellafield.</p><iframe class="ql-video" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1128829665/"></iframe><p>James Wilcock, SNM Strategy and Innovation at Sellafield Ltd said: “We’re extremely pleased with the success of this trial. The equipment has impressed us thoroughly and shown clear potential for future applications within Sellafield.” With Benedict Robinson, Remediation Technology &amp; Innovation at Sellafield Ltd adding: “After hard work by everyone involved, we were excited to see a positive result. We are already talking about potential applications.”</p><h2>Next Steps</h2><p>With two successful demonstrations completed, the next phase focuses on preparing the system for extended on-site deployment trials. Work will include improving robustness, refining the user interface, and integrating lessons learned from recent testing.</p><p>From a speculative proposal to a proven demonstrator, the University of Bristol’s long-range alpha imaging system is now poised to transform alpha detection – making nuclear operations safer, faster, and more cost-effective across the UK nuclear sector.</p>

<p>The University of Bristol’s long-range alpha imaging project has taken a major step forward with successful demonstrations both on-site and in a mock SNM store, proving its potential to make nuclear operations safer and more efficient.</p>

University of Bristol advances long-range alpha imaging technology

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<p>Game Changers has awarded funding to three new feasibility projects to address one of Sellafield’s most technically demanding inspection challenges: capturing live, high-definition (HD) video inside more than 40 metres of pipework with an internal diameter of just 20mm. The <a href="https://www.gamechangers.technology/challenge/Internal_inspection_of_long_and_narrow_pipework" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">challenge</a> attracted a significant number of applications, and the selected projects will conclude soon.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Internal inspection of long, narrow, and debris-filled pipes is notoriously difficult due to tight bends, weld protrusions, corrosion, and limited visibility. Sellafield’s Sealines overflow drain line – inspected every 2 years and required to operate for the next 4 decades – exemplifies these challenges. The site is seeking solutions that could be deployed for the 2027 inspection, and welcomed proposals from all sectors.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Chelsea Abbott-Osliff, Technical Advisor for Spent Fuel Management, said: <em>“We’re now testing ideas that break away from traditional thinking; the concepts now in feasibility are unlike anything we’ve tried before. It’s exciting to see how these novel solutions could reshape how we tackle long pipe-related challenges.”</em>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><h2>Awarded Feasibility Projects</h2><h3>Self-Growing Snake Robot – University of Nottingham &amp; Ice9 Robotics&nbsp;</h3><p>This project develops a hybrid robot combining a cable-driven “snake” head for precise orientation with a pneumatically actuated self-growing body that extends through pipework. The design offers flexible navigation, adaptability to changing diameters, and long-reach capability – making it well suited to complex, narrow pipe networks.&nbsp;</p><h3>Motorised Endoscope with Advanced Traction Control – UKAEA&nbsp;</h3><p>Building on two earlier prototypes, this concept integrates a HD endoscope into a miniature wheeled or tracked drive unit capable of manoeuvring within a 20mm bore. A motorised tether provides powered “push” assistance, while an advanced traction algorithm adjusts movement in real time, improving navigation of bends, welds, and debris without the need for bulky signal repeaters.&nbsp;</p><h3>Vine: A Soft Robotic Endoscope for Challenging Environments – UKAEA&nbsp;</h3><p>Vine uses a compliant polymer body that “grows” into the pipe under low-pressure gas, enabling smooth travel through variable diameters and past obstructions. The system includes built-in retraction, contamination containment, and a live HD camera. Previous trials demonstrate scalability toward the 40m requirement, with rapid design iteration supported by UKAEA’s specialist materials expertise.&nbsp;</p><p>These feasibility studies mark a major step toward a deployable solution that could transform how Sellafield inspects hard-to-access pipework, supporting safer and more efficient management of vital infrastructure.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Game Changers has funded three feasibility projects developing novel robotic and endoscopic systems to capture HD video inside ultra-long, 20mm pipework, aiming to transform Sellafield’s challenging inspections and enable safer, more reliable monitoring for operations.</p>

Game Changers awards feasibility funding for long and narrow pipework inspection

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<p>As part of the “<a href="https://www.gamechangers.technology/challenge/Analytical_Services:_Novel_separation_and_direct_measurement_technologies_for_radionuclides_and_analytes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Novel Separation and Direct Measurement Technologies for Radionuclides</a>” challenge set by the Analytical Services department at Sellafield Ltd, the University of York is developing a cutting-edge detection system aimed at revolutionising how radioactive samples are analysed. The research team hosted a pivotal mid-project demonstration at the School of Physics, Engineering and Technology, University of York, offering challenge owners and stakeholders a closer look at their progress.&nbsp;</p><p>The project, led by Dr Christian Diget, seeks to overcome the limitations in the nuclear sector of in-liquid identification of alpha-emitting isotopes – a critical need in nuclear energy and decommissioning. In comparison, traditional approaches require preparation and processing of samples, which can be inefficient and time consuming.&nbsp;</p><p>During the demonstration, a group of 11 attendees – including representatives from Sellafield Ltd, Game Changers delivery partner FIS360, and members of the university’s research group – gathered to observe a live test of the device using a radioactive source. The event offered a unique opportunity to see the hardware in action, explore the detection principles, and have in-depth technical discussions around specific use cases at Sellafield.</p><iframe class="ql-video" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1145326771/"></iframe><p>Christian Diget, Academic, University of York said: “Traditional alpha radiation detection is slow and complex. Through Game Changers, we're developing in-situ technology that simplifies the process and expands its use across Sellafield and beyond - bringing real-world impact to a long-standing challenge.”&nbsp;</p><p>Alongside Dr Diget, key contributors from the University of York include Dr Jamie Brown, Dr Samadhan Patil, and PDRA Alex Marchant. Their collective work has focused on refining sensor selection, device fabrication techniques, packaging design, and testing the chemical durability of the sensor components.&nbsp;</p><p>This demonstration marked the halfway point of the team’s 12-month proof-of-concept (PoC) project, which began after the successful completion of a feasibility study in 2024. In parallel, the devices are undergoing bench and in-laboratory testing at multiple sites internationally. These collaborations are already helping to validate performance under varied operational conditions and are a critical step toward potential deployment.&nbsp;</p><p>With the promise of improving how radioactive liquids are analysed, especially in high-precision environments such as Sellafield, this technology could play a key role in the future of nuclear measurement, safety, and decommissioning.</p>

<p>The University of York showcased its emerging in-liquid alpha detection technology to Sellafield and partners, demonstrating live testing of the prototype and its potential to transform radioactive sample analysis and nuclear decommissioning.</p>

University of York demonstrates breakthrough in radionuclide detection

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<p>Following the successful completion of <a href="https://www.gamechangers.technology/news/Three_projects_advance_to_proof_of_concept_stage_in_Sellafield's_drum_deformity_detection_challenge" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">feasibility studies</a> in 2024, three innovative projects have now delivered fully demonstrable proof-of-concept (PoC) solutions to improve the inspection of highly radioactive waste drums at Sellafield.&nbsp;</p><p>Sellafield Ltd is responsible for the safe, long-term storage of approximately <strong>23,000 stainless steel drums</strong>, each containing uranium-bearing intermediate level waste (ILW). These 500L drums are kept in Sellafield’s Encapsulated Product Stores (EPS) and require inspection to monitor their condition. Some drums have previously exhibited signs of deformation due to chemical reactions within the drum contents, prompting the need for improved, high-accuracy measurement and monitoring methods.&nbsp;</p><p>Because of the <strong>radioactive nature of the waste</strong>, inspections must be carried out inside shielded inspection cells. Any new inspection technology must therefore either operate within these <strong>high-radiation, confined environments</strong> or function remotely through <strong>multi-layered lead glass shield windows</strong>.&nbsp;</p><p>Enhanced inspection capability will provide Sellafield<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> and industry regulators </span>with greater confidence in its understanding of how these waste packages evolve over time. This insight will <strong>inform the requirement for future inspections and interventions, potentially leading to costs savings and efficiencies.</strong>&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>The Game Changers Challenge</strong></h2><p>In response to this <a href="https://www.gamechangers.technology/challenge/Identifying_deformities_in_500L_drums" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">challenge</a>, Game Changers – working with the <strong>Retrievals East River</strong> at Sellafield Ltd – sought novel approaches that could be <strong>rapidly developed and deployed</strong> to deliver improvements as soon as practicable.&nbsp;</p><p>Out of <strong>21 applications received</strong>, four projects were taken forward for 12-week feasibility evaluations. Of those, three were selected to progress into full <strong>proof-of-concept development</strong>.&nbsp;</p><p>All three proof-of-concept studies have now successfully demonstrated viable technologies, and discussions are underway to determine which approach will move forward into further development and eventual deployment.&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>The Three Successful Proof-of-Concept Studies</strong></h2><h3><strong>Amentum – Laser Scan of Drum on Turntable</strong></h3><p>Amentum developed a system using two commercially available laser line scanners to capture a 3D profile of a 500L drum as it rotates on an inspection turntable. The technology achieves <strong>sub-millimetre (&lt;1 mm) dimensional accuracy</strong> while compensating for practical issues such as off-centre or tilted drums. Its simplicity and robustness make it an attractive solution for integration into existing facilities. Find out more about the inactive demonstration carried out at Amentum's Birchwood facility in May 2025:</p><iframe class="ql-video" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1093739149/"></iframe><h3><strong>Cerberus Nuclear – DrumSight 3D</strong></h3><p>Cerberus Nuclear advanced its <strong>DrumSight 3D</strong> system, employing COTS pan/tilt/zoom cameras mounted inside the inspection cell. Bespoke software reconstructs a <strong>3D model</strong> of each drum as it is lifted from its four-drum stillage, enabling accurate deformation measurements without the need for turntable handling. This method enables inspection of the drum base and reduces the risk of handling drums that may already be significantly deformed. Find out more about the inactive demonstration carried out in April 2025:</p><iframe class="ql-video" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1093740014/"></iframe><h3><strong>University of Bristol – Edge Detection Software</strong>&nbsp;</h3><p>The University of Bristol created innovative software that processes images from existing <strong>through-window camera inspections</strong> to automatically detect drum edges as the drum rotates. This enables accurate dimensional measurements without needing to place any equipment within the radiation environment, offering a <strong>non-intrusive and easily deployable</strong> approach. An active demonstration took place at Sellafield site in February 2025. Find out more in this clip from FIS360 Project Manager Ellen Barker as part of June's Game Changers Technology Talk:</p><iframe class="ql-video" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1129842842/"></iframe><h2><strong>Next Steps</strong></h2><p>All three technologies have demonstrated strong potential not only for <strong>500L drum inspection</strong> but also for <strong>Remote Handling Intermediate Level Waste (RHILW) visual inspection</strong> applications across the <strong>Sellafield site</strong> and the broader <strong>Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) estate</strong>.&nbsp;</p><p>The next phase of developments will include system refinements and active trials to determine deployability, and integration potential, as Sellafield Ltd and Game Changers determine which solution offers the <strong>best balance of accuracy, practicality, and radiation tolerance</strong> for operational use.&nbsp;</p><p>These proof-of-concept successes mark a significant milestone in the journey to enhance Sellafield’s waste management capabilities – a clear demonstration of how collaboration, innovation, and targeted challenge-led development can drive progress in one of the most complex industrial environments in the world.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Three proof-of-concept projects – from Amentum, the University of Bristol, and Cerberus Nuclear – have demonstrated innovative technologies for detecting drum deformities at Sellafield, improving remote inspection accuracy, safety, and efficiency in managing radioactive waste storage.</p>

News

ThreadSafe – transforming the golden thread of Nuclear Safety Cases

Five novel feasibility projects launched to tackle Sellafield’s silo waste challenge

University of Bristol advances long-range alpha imaging technology

Game Changers awards feasibility funding for long and narrow pipework inspection

University of York demonstrates breakthrough in radionuclide detection

Three innovative proof-of-concept projects deliver new possibilities for drum deformity detection at Sellafield