Provision of a Technical Training Course on Reactive Metals Behaviour

ONR is seeking to engage one of the Technical Support Contractors (TSC) appointed on Lot 2 of its Technical Support Framework.

ONR's requirements relating to the delivery of a technical training course on reactive metals behaviour by the successful contractor. The specification covers both the development of the training materials in line with ONR requirements (stage 1) and the delivery at ONR offices in Bootle, Merseyside (United Kingdom) (stage 2).

A report written by LLW Repository Ltd, Radioactive Waste Management and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority define reactive metals as 'problematic waste' within the nuclear industry. The term 'problematic' refers to waste that has difficult physical, chemical and radiological properties and may have no defined waste treatment or disposal route available or that could give rise to significant hazards (for example hydrogen) as part of that disposal route/treatment process. Examples include highly reactive metals that react with water, such as Lithium, Sodium, Potassium; and metals that can react with cementitious grout to form Hydrogen, such as Aluminium and Magnox Fuel Element Debris (FED). However for the purpose of this training requirement, ONR considers that the reactive metals under consideration must include alkali metals, alkali earth metals, transition metals, post transition metals and actinides.

There is therefore a requirement for the ONR to be suitably knowledgeable about reactive metals (alkali metals, alkali earth metals, transition metals, post transition metals and actinides), their behaviour under different conditions and how they can be treated to achieve passive conditions for long term storage within the nuclear industry. To this purpose ONR is seeking an underpinning training programme to allow the ONR the capability to consider and understand all reactive metals behaviour requirements.