The Centre for Innovative Nuclear Decommissioning (CINDe)
CINDe was established in 2017, led by the UK National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) working in collaboration with Sellafield Ltd (SL), the University of Manchester, Lancaster University, the University of Liverpool and the University of Cumbria and based at NNL Workington, Cumbria.
What is CINDe?
CINDe is a PhD hub with the researchers performing their projects while being primarily based in industry, and with reach back to academic expertise within the university sector.
What is the purpose of CINDe?
The purpose of CINDe is to provide additional underpinning and innovation to the Research and Development (R&D) needs for the Sellafield and wider nuclear industry decommissioning mission by:
- Bringing together leading academics, NNL and SL to perform innovative R&D to support the national decommissioning mission
- Enabling access to NNL facilities to university partners
- Allowing more frequent interactions between the academic partners and industry to enable closer more effective relationships working relationships to be developed
- Enhancing technical reputation through publication of high quality, peer reviewed scientific journal publications
- Bringing new talent to the industry and building skills in the next generation nuclear R&D skills pipeline in West Cumbria
Want to get in touch?
For CINDe business and management enquires, or to get in touch with CINDe researchers – select ‘CINDe’ in the drop down menu below to submit your enquiry:
Contact us
Meet our researchers
CINDe currently has 13 PhD researchers in place at Workington, with ongoing recruitment for a further cohort to start in October 2019. The team are a vibrant, mutually supporting community of researchers working on related PhD projects to support decommissioning operations in the nuclear industry, with a particular emphasis on the Sellafield challenges. Because of the diversity of the decommissioning challenges, the CINDe team is both multi-national and multidisciplinary bringing a rich variety of expertise and perspectives to address the decommissioning issues.
Antonio Di Buono
Christopher Cunliffe
Ian Tellam
Jonathan Harding
Tomas Fried
Kyriacos Hadjidemetriou
Jessica Hyde
James Kennedy
Edward MacNeil
Rodosthenis Charalampous
Research Outputs
Summary of research outputs
2019
Journal article: Fried, T., Cheneler, D., Monk, S. D., Taylor, C. J., & Dodds, J. (2019). Compact viscometer prototype for remote in-situ analysis of sludge. Sensors, 19(15), [3299]. https://doi.org/10.3390/s19153299
Cunliffe, C; The Benefits of Collaboration: LabVIEW Software Development for HALES (2019)
Conference paper: A. Di Buono, P. R. Green, B. Lennox, N. Cockbain and X. Poteau, “Design of a Wireless Sensing System for Deployment in Nuclear Decommissioning Environments”, 11th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Plant Instrumentation, Control and Human Machine Interface Technologies, NPIC & HMIT 2019. American Nuclear Society ANS, (2019).
Conference poster and oral presentation: Hadjidemetriou, K, Dunsford, J, Fonte, C. & Rodgers, T. (2019). Effluent Treatment Ultrafiltration System Optimisation for Nuclear Decommissioning. ChemEngDayUK 2019, Edinburgh, UK.
2018
Conference poster: Cunliffe, C; Dennis, D; Dodds, J; Fluid Transport Correlations in Partially Filled Pipes for Nuclear Decommissioning (2018) Poster presented at the UK Fluids Conference, Manchester, United Kingdom
Conference paper: Mubasher T, Leay L, Butcher E and Hayes M. (2018). Evaluation of Novel Geopolymer Material for Nuclear Waste Treatment. Poster session presented at NUWCEM 2018, Avignon, France.
2017
Industrial Leads
Professor Anthony Banford – CINDe Industrial Research Director, Chief Technologist
Anthony is the Chief Technologist for Waste Management and Decommissioning (WM&D) at the National Nuclear Laboratory and is a member of the Laboratory Leadership Team. He is responsible for technical strategy, technical capability, research and development programmes. He has delivered significant projects throughout the nuclear plant lifecycle for UK and international customers. Currently focused on R&D supporting radioactive waste management and decommissioning, he leads the Centre for Innovative Nuclear Decommissioning (CINDe), bringing academia, NNL and industry together to focus and drive research and innovation. As an advocate for collaboration, he chairs the international Nugenia Association WM&D area and has established both cross sector and international collaborative partnerships. Anthony is a Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor in ‘Next Generation Nuclear Chemical Engineering’. He is a Chartered Engineer, Chartered Scientist and a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers.
Ed Butcher – CINDe Strategy Manager, Technical Lead at Workington
Ed is a Chartered Chemist and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry with over 25 years’ experience in the application of encapsulation systems for the treatment of hazardous and nuclear wastes. This has included work on a broad range of nuclear wastes arising from reprocessing site operations and reactor sites in the UK, Western and Eastern Europe and in the United States. He is currently a Senior Technology Manager for the NNL Immobilisation Science and Technology (IS&T) team. Ed has maintained strong links with technical academic community throughout his industrial career, combining research work, supervision of PhD students and acting a specialist external lecturer in the waste management and decommissioning area on a range of course. He has been a supervisor for PhD projects under the DIAMOND and DISTINCTIVE programmes and is the lead for the Integrated Waste Management theme for the TRANSCEND programme.
Julija Konovalovaite – CINDe Operations Manager, Chemical Engineer
Julija is an EngD qualified engineer. She has 5 years of experience working within the nuclear industry primarily focusing on small scale microbiology and larger scale plant support experimental rigs. Julija’s academic background is in various aspects of environmental engineering. Her EngD (completed at National Nuclear Laboratory’s (NNL’s) Workington Laboratory) investigated growth and control methods of cyanobacterial species found in legacy pond located on Sellafield site. After joining NNL as a Chemical Engineer she has worked on many projects within the theme of decommissioning and remediation including: fluid flow and suspension of solids within full and small-scale non-active test rigs, characterisation of particulate and fume generated from laser cutting size reduction activities of materials associated with glovebox construction.