The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has committed £30 million in new contracts aimed at advancing research and innovation in nuclear decommissioning.
This investment is part of a broader effort to develop cutting-edge techniques that ensure the safe, sustainable, and cost-effective cleanup of the UK’s oldest nuclear sites.
The NDA’s mission is no small feat—many of these nuclear sites were designed and built without decommissioning in mind. This presents significant challenges, requiring innovative engineering and technological solutions to effectively and efficiently dismantle and remediate these locations.
This collaboration will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to drive innovation, ensuring the delivery of our decommissioning mission.
Research and Development (R&D) is a cornerstone of the NDA’s decommissioning programme, with the organisation investing around £100 million annually into R&D initiatives.
The recent £30 million investment comes through the NDA Research Portfolio (NRP) competition, a key element of the NDA’s strategic research programme. The NRP provides direct funding for research that supports the NDA’s strategic objectives, including promoting innovation across multiple sites and developing a skilled and diverse supply chain within the nuclear sector.
Three Key Focus Areas
The newly awarded contracts will drive innovation in three crucial areas:
- University Interactions: Supporting academic research to cultivate skills and expertise in the nuclear decommissioning sector.
- Enabling Decommissioning, Waste Management, and Remediation: Advancing research in radioactive waste management and decommissioning techniques.
- Spent Fuels and Nuclear Material: Fostering research in spent fuel storage, disposal, and the strategic development of plutonium and uranium handling.
These contracts, which will span four years, are being implemented by seven consortia composed of over 60 organizations. This diverse group includes nuclear industry veterans, global corporations, UK universities, national laboratories, and a host of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Kate Canning, NDA’s Head of R&D, expressed excitement about the quality of the proposals received: “We are delighted with the high quality of the submissions, which include both established organizations and new players in the nuclear sector. This collaboration will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to drive innovation, ensuring the delivery of our decommissioning mission.”
Past Successes and Future Ambitions
The NDA’s past investments in R&D have already yielded promising results, such as the development of new treatment technologies for uranic materials and a non-contact asbestos detection system using hyperspectral techniques. These innovations have been pivotal in supporting the NDA’s ongoing decommissioning efforts.
The new NRP contracts will continue to build on this progress, supporting the NDA’s University Research Strategy and addressing cross-industry R&D needs identified by the Nuclear Waste and Decommissioning Research Forum (NWDRF).
The NWDRF focuses on enhancing coordination of R&D across the UK’s nuclear decommissioning, site remediation, and integrated waste management efforts.
For more information on the NDA’s research focus areas, please refer to the latest publication on NDA Areas of Research Interest.