The UK’s nuclear decommissioning programme has reached a pivotal point. New collaborations and technical breakthroughs are speeding progress across the sector.
A formal partnership between the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), alongside a major plutonium safety milestone at Sellafield, signals a coordinated national effort. This initiative tackles legacy nuclear challenges while laying the groundwork for future fusion power.
Clive Nixon, NDA Group Chief Nuclear Strategy Officer, said, “The NDA group leads the way in nuclear decommissioning. We have one of the most experienced nuclear workforces globally, developing innovative solutions that benefit the nuclear sector and beyond.
“Our environment is uniquely complex, so collaborating with UKAEA allows us to share knowledge and tackle shared challenges effectively. This agreement will build on our past successes, increase efficiency for taxpayers, and accelerate mission delivery.”
A strategic partnership to improve decommissioning
UKAEA and the NDA signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), formalising years of collaboration. The agreement aims to accelerate best practices, innovation, and efficiency across the UK’s largest decommissioning programmes.
The NDA manages the cleanup of the UK’s 17 earliest nuclear sites, one of Europe’s most technically demanding decommissioning efforts. By partnering with UKAEA, the NDA will share lessons from fission and fusion programmes, manage risk better, reduce costs, and improve long-term outcomes.
JET decommissioning offers insights for the future
At the heart of the agreement is the Joint European Torus (JET), a leading fusion research facility operated by UKAEA. As JET transitions from plasma operations to shutdown and repurposing, its Decommissioning and Repurposing (JDR) team uses NDA expertise to embed proven approaches early in planning.
NDA advice has already supported JET in waste treatment, regulatory compliance, and processing infrastructure. This collaboration is expected to boost efficiency and set a benchmark for future fusion facilities, including next-generation commercial fusion plants.
Innovation flows both ways.
The partnership benefits both organisations. Techniques developed for JET’s fusion environment could be adapted across the NDA estate.
Both organisations collaborate through RAICo, the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration, showing how digital tools and automation can transform nuclear decommissioning. This cross-sector approach addresses shared challenges in fusion and fission, including hazardous waste management, remote handling, and long-term site remediation.
UK reaches plutonium processing milestone.
Alongside the partnership, the NDA group achieved a UK-first milestone at Sellafield. For the first time, a can of plutonium residue was safely processed into a stable waste form. This marks a critical step in addressing the UK’s plutonium legacy.
The programme will treat roughly 400 cans of plutonium residue, a by-product of historic fuel and materials manufacturing. Processing occurs in a facility that has operated safely since the mid-1980s, showing how repurposing existing infrastructure can speed results.
Next challenge: immobilising the UK’s plutonium stockpile
Building on this success, the NDA now faces its largest task: immobilising the UK’s entire civil separated plutonium inventory.
Commissioned in January 2025, the programme aims to permanently secure plutonium by locking it into a stable form for disposal in a future Geological Disposal Facility. Backed by £154m in government funding over five years, it will support around 100 jobs, mainly in Cumbria.
David Peattie, NDA Group CEO, said, “This UK-first milestone highlights the NDA group’s unrivalled expertise. Special credit goes to the Sellafield team, whose innovation and skills made this achievement possible.
“The full immobilisation programme will take decades, but processing this first can into a disposable form represents significant progress, achieved within 12 months of the policy announcement. Tackling the UK’s plutonium challenge will remain a top priority for decades. With government support, we are proud to lead efforts to make the UK safer for generations to come.”
