Eadon Consulting is taking part in a feasibility study through the Game Changers programme to support the decommissioning of the British Experimental Pile 0 (BEP0) Reactor at Harwell in Oxfordshire. 

Led by Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS), part of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), the programme aims to speed up decommissioning, improve safety and reduce long-term costs through innovation. 

The BEP0 reactor has been in care and maintenance for many years and presents a lot of the challenges typical of legacy nuclear facilities. As a contained and fairly straightforward decommissioning project, it is the ideal testbed to trial new technologies that could later be deployed on larger and more complex reactors across the wider nuclear estate. 

Eadon’s role is to assess how REACH (our flexible access system for sampling and sensing) can act as an enabling technology for data collection within that process. 

REACH is a modular, long-range, multi-tool deployment system designed for nuclear decommissioning and other challenging settings. Rather than replacing heavy-lifting equipment, it provides flexible remote access to confined and hard-to-reach areas, supporting measurement, characterisation and monitoring activities. Some parts of BEP0 have been sealed for decades, so gaining a clearer understanding of internal conditions is a critical first step. By enabling remote inspection and data gathering, REACH could help reduce risk to operators, improve decision-making and support a more efficient approach to decommissioning. 

Our experience providing practical engineering solutions in challenging environments means we are well placed to support this programme and help make decommissioning safer and smarter across the UK.