The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is the government-funded body responsible for managing the decommissioning and clean-up of the UK civil nuclear sites. It is also responsible for implementing government policy on the long-term management of nuclear waste.
NDA is responsible for 17 sites across the UK with these being managed by three subsiduaries. Sellafield Ltd is the largest and most complex element of the NDA’s mission, while Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) manages the remediation of 10 former Magnox reactors sites, Dounreay and 2 former research sites. Nuclear Waste Services (NWS), is charged with finding a site for a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF), and managing the Low-Level Waste Repository (LLWR).
NDA’s other subsiduary is Nuclear Transport Solutions, responsible for the national and international transport of nuclear materials and radioactive waste.
Nuleaf engages with NDA Group to represent the local authority perspective on a number of issues including:
- the impacts of NDA’s work on local communities and wider sustainability;
- stakeholder engagement; and
- the implications of decommissioning and waste management proposals, particular in terms of land use and waste planning and proposals for the future use of sites.
Nuleaf sits on a range of NDA fora including the Site Decommissioning and Remediation (SDR), Integrated Waste Management (IWM) and Critical Enablers (CE) Theme Overview Groups (TOGs). We are a member of the advisory group for the development of NDA Strategy, and also engage directly with NRS and NWS. Our Radioactive Waste Planning Group provides a forum for land use and waste planners to engage on plans for NDA sites.
Nuclear decommissioning
The NDA’s mission is to clean up the UK’s legacy nuclear sites and make them available for next planned use.
By far the largest and most complex decommissioning challenge is presented by Sellafield in West Cumbria. The site employs around 10,000 staff. It has a nuclear legacy going back to the 1940s and encompassing the world’s first commercial nuclear power station. Sellafield’s high hazard legacy ponds and silos are amongst the most complex and difficult decommissioning challenges in the world. The site was also involved in nuclear reprocessing, but these facilities are now closed.
A further 10 former nuclear power plants and 2 research reactor sites, along with the Dounreay site, are being decommissioned by Nuclear Restoration Services. These stations are at different stages of remediation, with Bradwell becoming the first NDA site to enter ‘Care and Maintenance’, in 2019.
The NDA decommissioning strategy has evolved from one of ‘Care and Maintenance’ to optimised decommissioning. Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) is in the process of reviewing its plans for the decommissioning of sites, but three, Trawsfynydd, Winfrith and Dounreay have been designated as ‘Lead and Learn’ sites where innovation and new means of decommissioning will be pioneered.
In June 2021, the UK government announced that following closure and defuelling the current fleet of Advanced Gas Cooled Reactor (AGR) stations, operated by EDF, will transfer to NDA for decommissioning by NRS. Nuclear Restoration Services has also taken on resposibility for the decommissioning of the Dounreay site in northern Scotland, and may grow further in future.
Radioactive Waste Management
The UK Radioactive Waste Inventory is large and complex encompassing materials that require very different approaches in terms of management and disposal.
In recent years, the NDA has moved towards an approach of Integrated Waste Management (IWM). This aims to manage radioactive waste based on its properties rather than solely in terms of the category it is classified as, and to apply the waste hierarchy.
In general, Higher Activity Waste (HAW) will be stored on NDA sites for a number of decades before being consigned to the Geological Disposal Facility. Other material will be disposed of at the national Low-Level Waste Repository (LLWR) in West Cumbria or via a range of treatments and management options including super-compaction, incineration or, in the case of the least radioactive material, appropriately permitted landfill sites.
In May 2024 the UK Government and Devolved Administrations published a new policy framework on Managing Radioactive Substances and Decommissioning. This is the first revision of policy in over 25 years and enables new ways of manageing radioactive material. These include disposal of waste on-site/in-situ and the option of developing a Near Surface Disposal (NSD) site for some of the Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) inventory.
Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) have an important role in the process of decommissioning and waste management, which they regulate through land use and waste plans. Our Radioactive Waste Planning Group (RWPG) provides a forum for officer engagement.
More widely, Nuleaf wants to see all decommissioning and waste management delivering the greatest economic, social and environmental gains for nuclear communities and wider society.