ThermaChange

The UK has a growing hazardous waste problem. ThermaChange is focused on solving two strategic challenges:

Asbestos

  • The historic use of asbestos causes over 5,000 deaths per year.
  • There remains around 6 million tonnes of asbestos in buildings across the UK
  • Currently, all asbestos waste is buried at near surface hazardous landfills, meaning risks remain for future generations.
  • Roughly 230,000 tonnes of asbestos contaminated waste is sent to landfill each year. At this rate, the UK will be sending asbestos to landfill for a further 26 years.
  • Disposing of this asbestos waste at hazardous waste landfill sites significantly reduces their capacity. New hazardous waste landfill capacity is not being permitted to replace lost capacity creating significant issues.
  • ThermaChange’s innovative, patented solution tackles this by thermally denaturing the asbestos using renewable electricity into a silicate mineral that can be used as a cement additive.

Non-fuel waste from nuclear power stations

  • For most people nuclear waste means fuel related waste and other high level waste that causes acute radiation poisoning and severe health damage. This waste is destined for the UK’s Geological Disposal Facility (GDF).
  • While attention is on the high level waste and the GDF, the non-fuel non-high-level waste is the majority waste volume from nuclear power station operations (e.g., consumables from safety apparel and machinery maintenance) and their end of life decommissioning and demolition.
  • These intermediate and low level wastes do not cause acute radiation poisoning under standard management protocol. Currently, this waste is either buried in near surface hazardous landfill sites, or stored at sites awaiting a disposal route.
  • With historical facilities due to close as they either reach capacity or become unsuitable, the strategic need for the UK is to identify suitable locations to condition, package and safely store these non-fuel related waste materials.
  • ThermaChange’s innovative, patented solution is one technology amongst many that aims to tackle this growing non-fuel, non-high level waste problem.

Our Vision

Our vision is to co-locate all waste treatment processes at a single site needed for the processing, conditioning and safe packaging of non-heat generating intermediate and low level waste with onsite disposal. This will ensure economies of scale that maximises efficiencies for the public purse.