New specialist facilities will be created at Sellafield after a £154 million project has been announced to dispose of the UK’s civil plutonium inventory.
The cash, to spent over five years, will see 100 jobs created after the Government decided to immobilise the material, a product of nuclear fuel reprocessing, which will mitigate the long-term security risks.
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority group said it would work with supply-chain partners to design, install and operate the specialist laboratory facilities at Sellafield, where experts will test and prove the technology that will be used to immobilise the plutonium, locking it away in a stable form.
Work will focus on early research and development for the programme over the next two years, with 50 people already in post.
In addition, £2.5 million is being invested in establishing a £5 million Plutonium Ceramics Academic Hub in partnership with the Universities of Manchester and Sheffield, which is central to developing the technical expertise and subject matter experts needed for the unique work.
NDA Group CEO David Peattie said: “The NDA group is already leading the way in nuclear decommissioning and safely managing the UK’s most hazardous radioactive materials.
“This Government investment will allow us to drive forward this important national policy, building cutting edge facilities and growing world-leading expertise and capability in plutonium immobilisation, providing a safe, secure and permanent solution
“It’s a strong vote of confidence in our ability to safely, securely, and sustainably deal with the UK’s civil nuclear legacy to benefit future generations.”
Minister for Energy Michael Shanks said: “Cumbria has a proud nuclear history, and this new investment will unlock pioneering technology to manage our nuclear waste.
“Alongside the 100 jobs from this research, thousands more will be supported over the course of the plutonium immobilisation programme and see billions invested in the region, boosting the local economy.”
Currently, the UK’s civil separated plutonium inventory is safely and securely stored at Sellafield, in line with regulatory requirements.
There are two technologies for immobilisation being explored, Disposal MOX (DMOX) which creates ceramic pellets designed for disposal, and Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) where high pressures and temperatures are used to create a ‘rock like’ ceramic material.
Progress is already underway, with two new state-of-the-art laboratories being installed at Sellafield to develop and prove the technologies.
Once immobilised the material is intended for final disposal in a Geological Disposal Facility, or GDF, and NDA group subsidiary, Nuclear Waste Services, is leading work to ensure the final waste form is suitable for a GDF.
The NDA said plutonium work was uniquely challenging due to the material’s hazardous nature which means stringent arrangements need to be in place for researchers to work safely and securely with the material and develop these technologies.
Alongside this research and development investment, the next phase involves seeking approval for a major plutonium disposition programme.
It added: “This will require the construction of a nuclear material processing plant and interim storage capability at Sellafield, bringing major investment to the area and supporting thousands of skilled jobs for decades to come.”
Josh Macalister, Whitehaven & Workington MP, said: “I welcome this significant investment and the commitment to creating new jobs and opportunities here in West Cumbria.
“For decades, our community has shouldered the responsibility of managing the UK’s nuclear legacy. This announcement ensures that we will benefit for decades to come as the decommissioning mission enters this new phase.
“I hosted a roundtable earlier in the summer with universities and nuclear institutions to explore how West Cumbria could benefit from investment in research so it is especially encouraging to see funding for research partnerships with our universities and the creation of a new academic hub.
“Developing world-class expertise here in West Cumbria will not only strengthen the UK’s capability to deal with hazardous materials but also inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.
“What matters most is that local people benefit from these investments. I will continue to press the NDA and the Government to make sure the programme supports high-quality jobs, apprenticeships, and training opportunities for young people in West Cumbria, so that the skills and prosperity generated by this programme remain in our community for years to come.”
Cumberland Council leader Mark Fryer said: “We welcome this initial investment in additional research capability at Sellafield. We also recognise that there will need to be further investment in skills, education and training in Cumberland to ensure a suitably qualified workforce and supply chain is in place to support delivery of this major long term programme.
“Work to immobilise plutonium will, of course, need to be carried out alongside other existing high priority legacy waste retrieval and hazard reduction programmes at the Sellafield site. We intend to work collaboratively with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Sellafield Ltd on all these nationally significant programmes and will look to ensure our local economy, infrastructure and community receives maximum value and benefit from them.”
