UK awards £30 million to advance decommissioning R&D

The 17 nuclear sites being remediated by the NDA were not designed with decommissioning in mind, posing challenges that require first-of-a-kind engineering and technological solutions. Every year, the NDA invests £100 million (about $130.3 million) into decommissioning research and development with the aim of solving technical problems more effectively, efficiently, and, where possible, for less cost.

“It’s an exciting time for the nuclear industry, and we believe the range of organizations involved in the frameworks will provide a diverse range of experience and knowledge to deliver innovative research supporting the delivery of the NDA mission,” said Kate Canning, NDA's head of R&D.

The awards: Part of the NDA Research Portfolio, which forms a key part of the agency’s strategic research program, the three new contracts run for four years and replace the NDA’s previous Direct Research Portfolio, which was awarded in 2020.

The contracts cover three areas:

• University interactions—supporting academic research to grow skills within the nuclear decommissioning sector.
• Enabling decommissioning—research into radioactive waste management and decommissioning techniques and practice.
• Spent fuels and nuclear material—enabling research into spent fuel storage and disposal and developing strategies for managing plutonium and transuranics.

According to the NDA, seven consortia involving more than 60 organizations are involved in the contracts. This includes established nuclear companies, global cross-sector corporations, U.K. universities, and national laboratories, as well as small- and medium-sized enterprises.