Quebec City, Canada, February 26, 2026 UK’s Sellafield Ltd has begun a collaboration with OVA, a Canadian company specialized in delivering immersive software for high-stakes operations and training. This project will use OVA’s no-code platform, StellarX, to support the evolution of Sellafield’s training programs and will introduce an innovative enhancement to training and safety practices in the nuclear industry.
Sellafield operates Europe’s largest nuclear site, housing over 200 nuclear facilities including the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory. Their work focuses on the retrieval, clean-up, and safe storage of nuclear waste from UK nuclear reactors and legacy waste storage on the site.
OVA will deliver three interactive VR simulations that replicate Sellafield’s high-risk procedures. Employees will receive step-by-step guidance, adaptive feedback, and procedural reinforcement from virtual agents in real-time. The project will emphasize realism, using environments that are digital twins of Sellafield’s facilities.
The simulations will be used to rehearse the opening and processing/repackaging of sealed radioactive waste packages with glove box systems, which are fully enclosed workstations used to manipulate contaminated materials safely. These scenarios reflect real decommissioning and waste-handling operations, including controlled package handling and positioning, depressurization of sealed containers, mechanical cutting using specialist tooling, and the segregation and transfer of waste.
These operations require precise coordination, procedural adherence, and familiarity with specialised tooling and workflows. Due to the specialized nature of knowledge needed to complete these operations and the risk of contamination or equipment shutdown if procedures are not followed accurately, opportunities for hands-on practice are limited and carefully managed.
By recreating these operations in VR with StellarX, Sellafield employees can repeatedly rehearse complex tasks inside a controlled environment. This will help personnel develop muscle memory, situational awareness, task accuracy, and confidence before entering the facility.
Virtual training will accelerate the learning process since operators will gain familiarity with the task before they move to training on an inactive glovebox. By complementing existing methods, this initiative offers a dynamic, immersive, and scalable solution designed to improve engagement and efficiency.
OVA will demonstrate the finalized training to Sellafield in-person early 2026 at which point a long-term digital training strategy across Sellafield’s other operations will be discussed.
Comments
“We are very excited to continue working with OVA, who are bringing their expertise and enthusiasm to support the adoption of digital technology within the Special Nuclear Materials portfolio.”
Emma Lutman, Project Manager, Sellafield
"It’s a real pleasure to work with Sellafield on this project. Lasting impact comes from strong collaboration, and despite the physical distance between us, our partnership remains close and effective."
Tim Purdy, Project Manager, OVA
For media inquiries, please contact:
Tanya Sahni, Marketing Director
tsahni@ova.ai
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