Magnox has announced that the Berkeley nuclear site in the UK has reached a milestone this month when the first package of intermediate level waste was placed inside its newly constructed interim storage facility (ISF).

The intermediate level waste was produced at the site during its operations and is safely stored inside a self-shielded cast iron container.

According to Magnox, the ISF is with a footprint the size of a football pitch and can hold around 850 packages of nuclear waste.

Berkeley site director Steve McNally said, "This is a huge achievement for the site and a fitting end to a successful year.

"It’s a great reward for the effort and dedication the team has shown and provides momentum for a new year of safe delivery."

Berkeley decommissioning programme is under way and each box of waste that is retrieved and stored in the ISF is a step closer to care and maintenance, which is expected in 2021.

Magnox is management and operations contractor responsible for safely managing ten nuclear sites.