Laser processing capabilities at TWI

TWI, Great Abingdon, Cambridge/UK, is working with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and various Site License Companies (SLCs) to develop the laser cutting process for dismantling and size reduction applications. Laser cutting offers significant economic, technical, operational and societal benefits compared to competing techniques. Nuclear decommissioning is high on the global agenda for social and economic reasons, as a result of recent events at Fukushima and the rising cost of decommissioning activities. The UK budget for decommissioning the 18 nuclear installations covered by the SLCs is approximately £80bn, and the global long-term market is estimated to be £1tn. The UK is well placed to be a world leader in nuclear decommissioning with the potential to create growth, jobs and revenues.