A HEXHAM-BASED engineering and technology company has won a national accolade.

RED Engineering has developed a first of its kind robotic system for the handling of hazardous waste at Sellafield.

The DPaCC project was recognised by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) with the ‘Best Creative Innovation Approach’ prize at its prestigious supply chain awards.

The project saw RED integrate a modified industrial robot within a secure containment vessel to allow the semi-automated repackaging of nuclear materials.

Over the past seven years, the company has delivered a growing number of creative solutions to support decommissioning activities at Sellafield, but the development and delivery of the robotic DPaCC system has taken its collaboration and the sophistication of its engineering to new heights.

The project can claim two major achievements, the company has said, – a clear demonstration of how industrial robot technology can be used to make working in hazardous environments safer and how a more agile and collaborative approach to project delivery can unlock innovation in the nuclear decommissioning sector.

Announcing the award, the NDA’s head of innovation, Sara Huntingdon, said: “This project has brought in robotics technologies, it’s shown the benefits of new ways of working, and it’s broadened our thinking in terms of what is possible.

"It has paved the way for new conversations about how we go about doing things and opened up a whole new range of opportunities for us to do things differently in the future.”

“We are absolutely delighted to be chosen for this award,” added RED MD Joe Orrell. “This was by far the most complex challenge we have undertaken in our 14-year history and it certainly tested us at times.

"However, it was the collaboration between our team, Sellafield and our supply chain partners that ultimately allowed the delivery of this game changing technology. With its potential to increase both operator safety and efficiency, it is a great example of RED delivering on its mission of making working in hazardous environments safer.”