The receipt hall at the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) at Sellafield Nuclear Reprocessing Plant in West Cumbria, UK. THORP is designed to reprocess spent oxide fuel from Advanced Gas- cooled Reactors (AGRs) and Light Water Reactors (LWRs) worldwide. The first part of the plant, for the receipt and storage of fuel, started operation in 1988. On arrival the fuel assemblies are removed from the transport flasks and dismantled by remote control. The fuel pins are then stored under water in cooling ponds to await reprocessing when THORP becomes fully operational in the early 1990's. The transport flasks are serviced and repainted before being returned.