ENGINEERS in Oldbury have pioneered a new way of handling the region’s nuclear waste.

Workers at Oldbury Power Station have devised a new method of handling and storing all nuclear sludge products from the site.

Sludge products are what are created through the site’s laundry, shower systems and activities such as oil separation.

Since the nuclear power station started generating power in 1967 Oldbury has stored all of this type of waste on site.

However, after more than 40 years project workers at Oldbury have devised a safer and more efficient method for handling the nuclear waste.

The waste will now be mixed with concrete and then poured into a container before being transported to a Low Level Waste Repository (LLWR) in Cumbria.

Bosses at Oldbury claim the new method will save taxpayers £800,000 in nuclear clean up costs.

"When we looked at the process we thought there must be a more efficient way of packaging the waste sludge," said Paul Thacker, project lead at Oldbury.

"A similar process is already used in the oil and petrochemical industry which we felt could be successfully transferred to a nuclear site."

The method has been subject to inspection by local stakeholders and industry regulators.

"This work is important to the site because it allows us to reduce the hazard when compared to storing the waste on site.

"It is an innovative system that we have already shared with our colleagues across Magnox North and South, and we hope the learning can be shared across the nuclear industry as part of our continued strive for more efficient and safe ways of working," said Mr Thacker.

Oldbury Power Station, which is run by Magnox North, is expected to keep generating electricity until 2011 when it will be shut down to start the decommissioning of the site.