The UK’s nuclear decommissioning programme has reached a pivotal moment, with new collaboration and technical breakthroughs accelerating progress across the sector.
A formal partnership between the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), combined with a landmark plutonium safety achievement at Sellafield, signals a coordinated national effort to tackle legacy nuclear challenges while laying foundations for future fusion power.
Clive Nixon, NDA Group Chief Nuclear Strategy Officer, explained: “The NDA group are at the forefront of nuclear decommissioning. We have one of the most experienced and skilled nuclear workforces in the world, developing pioneering solutions which have applications across the nuclear sector and beyond.
“The environment we work in is uniquely complex, so collaborating with UKAEA is extremely beneficial in terms of sharing expertise and knowledge to overcome some of the shared challenges we face.
“This agreement will enable us to build on the positive work we’ve done together to date to realise additional benefits, including increased efficiencies for the taxpayer and accelerating delivery of our mission.”
A strategic partnership to improve nuclear decommissioning
UKAEA and the NDA have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), formalising years of collaboration and knowledge-sharing.
The agreement is designed to accelerate best practice, innovation and efficiency across some of the UK’s largest nuclear decommissioning programmes.
The NDA oversees the clean-up of the UK’s 17 earliest nuclear sites, representing one of Europe’s most extensive and technically demanding decommissioning and remediation efforts.
By working more closely with UKAEA, the NDA will both share and benefit from lessons learned across fission and fusion programmes, helping to manage risk, reduce costs and improve long-term outcomes.
JET decommissioning offers insights for the future
At the heart of the agreement is the decommissioning of the Joint European Torus (JET), a world-leading fusion research facility operated by UKAEA.
As JET transitions from plasma operations into shutdown and repurposing, its Decommissioning and Repurposing (JDR) team is drawing on NDA expertise to embed proven approaches early in the planning process.
Advice from NDA specialists has already supported JET in areas such as waste treatment routes, regulatory compliance and processing infrastructure.
Incorporating this experience is expected to accelerate efficiency gains and ensure that JET’s decommissioning sets a benchmark for future fusion facilities, including the next generation of commercial fusion power plants.
Innovation flows both ways
The partnership is not a one-way exchange. Technologies and techniques developed for JET’s unique fusion environment could be adapted for use across parts of the NDA estate.
Both organisations already collaborate through RAICo, the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration, highlighting how digital tools and automation can transform nuclear decommissioning.
This cross-sector approach reflects the shared challenges faced by fusion and fission programmes, including hazardous waste management, remote handling, and long-term site remediation.
UK reaches plutonium processing milestone
Alongside the new partnership, the NDA group has achieved a UK-first nuclear safety milestone at its Sellafield site.
For the first time, a can of plutonium residue has been safely processed into a stable waste form, marking a crucial step toward permanently addressing the UK’s plutonium legacy.
The breakthrough initiates a programme to treat around 400 cans of plutonium residue, a by-product of historic fuel and materials manufacturing.
Processing is taking place in a facility that has operated safely since the mid-1980s, demonstrating how repurposing existing infrastructure can deliver faster results.
Next challenge: Immobilising the UK’s plutonium stockpile
Building on this success, the NDA group now faces its biggest task yet: immobilising the UK’s entire civil separated plutonium inventory.
Commissioned by the government in January 2025, this programme aims to permanently secure plutonium by locking it into a stable form for disposal in a future Geological Disposal Facility.
Backed by £154m of government funding over five years, the work will support around 100 jobs, mostly in Cumbria.
David Peattie, NDA Group CEO, concluded: “This UK-first milestone demonstrates the unrivalled expertise of the NDA group, with special recognition for the Sellafield team whose innovation and specialist skills have made this achievement possible.
“The full immobilisation programme will take many decades, but processing this first can of residue into a disposable form represents significant progress and was achieved within 12 months of the policy being announced.
“Tackling the UK’s plutonium challenge will remain a top priority for the NDA group for decades, and with the support of the government’s significant investment in this mission, we’re proud to be leading the way in making the UK safer for generations to come.”
