Accelerating the safe use of robotics

The Engineering Centre of Excellence is focused on finding solutions to engineering and maintenance challenges, including accelerating the safe use of robotics, such as UAVs, ROVs and quadruped robots to remove people from harmful environments and deliver the NDA mission safer, faster and more cost-efficiently.

The centre’s teams of engineers work with specialist robotics operators, supply chain companies, end-users, and future operators to ensure innovations are developed specifically to answer challenges at Sellafield Ltd and the wider NDA estate.

The centre allows for a different approach to innovation and successful delivery of new technologies. Innovation is woven into the fabric of the organisation through the people, culture, environment, specialist expertise, the ability to test and learn in a safe, non-nuclear space, and by embracing other supply partners who have easy access to the centre’s innovation bays and the challenges shared by the industry.

By utilising UAVs for inspections, the team has significantly reduced the need for human presence in harmful environments, minimising the risk of radiation exposure and other potential dangers. The implementation of UAVs has also streamlined inspection procedures and increased operational efficiency.

Our UAV team’s innovative use of UAVs has transformed inspection and monitoring processes at the Sellafield site, enhancing safety, improving efficiency, reducing cost, and benefiting the environment. Thanks to the creative can-do approach to innovation taken by the Engineering Centre of Excellence, drone flights at the Sellafield site have increased in the last five years from one flight every six months to 200 flights a year.

Our UAV team’s innovation has led to significant cost savings. By utilising drones, they have reduced the need for expensive and time-consuming manual inspections resulting in significant cost reductions for the company. Additionally, the improved efficiency has minimised downtime and increased productivity, further contributing to financial savings.