No workers will lose their jobs when reprocessing at Sellafield’s Thorp plant ends in two years’ time, site bosses have confirmed.

Of the 680 people who currently work at the plant, between 220 and 250 will see their roles end when the final reprocessing contract is completed in November 2018.

However, the plant’s management has confirmed that none of those affected will be made redundant and will instead be redeployed elsewhere on the site.

Around 450 people will stay in Thorp to continue working on the receipt and storage side of the plant that will remain.

John Benedicic, head of business strategy at Thorp, said: “Thorp was always a finite business enterprise, and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority contract dictates there will be no more reprocessing.

“The end date of November 2018 – when all current reprocessing contracts come to an end – has been held for the last seven years.

"At this end point of reprocessing, Thorp will be used for the receipt and safe storage of fuel, pending final disposal, and will be very busy until the late 2030s supporting the UK’s mission to keep the lights burning.

“But for the 220 to 250 people not needed when reprocessing ends – allowing for a two or three-year clean-up process afterwards – they will be re-skilled into other roles on site. There will be no forced redundancies.”

Sellafield Ltd this week made four planning applications to Copeland Council - one for each pond in Thorp - for their change-of-use from reprocessing fuel into receipt and storage.

Mr Benedicic added: “From November 2018, we are moving forward as the mission on site changes from reprocessing to decommissioning.”

A spokesman for the three site unions – Prospect, Unite and GMB – said: “The senior management team and the unions have been in consultation for some time as we are fully aware of the pending cessation of reprocessing in Thorp.

“We are working with the company to redeploy current Thorp employees affected, into suitable positions across the company.”

Thorp cost £2.8bn to build and at that time was the single largest project ever completed in the UK. It has dealt with more than 9,000 tonnes of fuel in its lifetime, added Mr Benedicic, and generated £10bn worth of business for the UK, largely from Japanese and German customers.