The First Generation Magnox Storage Pond (FGMSP) is an open-air pond that was constructed in the 1950s and 1960s. Its role was to receive and store irradiated fuel from Magnox reactors, and to remove the fuel cladding prior to the fuel being processed.
It contains used nuclear fuel, sludge, intermediate level waste and pond water, which all needs to be safely removed and processed through separate routes before the facility can be decommissioned.
In 2015 we granted permission for Sellafield Ltd to begin retrieving sludge from this ageing facility.
Work to empty the pond is expected to continue well into the 2040s. Once the full waste inventory has been removed, the pond will be dewatered and eventually demolished.