Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

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The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is a non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom formed by the Energy Act 2004. It came into existence in late 2004, and took on its main functions on 1 April 2005. Its purpose is to deliver the decommissioning and clean-up of the UK’s civil nuclear legacy in a safe and cost-effective manner, and where possible to accelerate programmes of work that reduce hazard. The NDA aims to do this by introducing innovation and world class contractor expertise through a series of competitions similar to the model that has been used in the US. The NDA took ownership of the sites involved, but the operational work itself is carried out by contractors.

[edit] Structure

Responsibility for operating the various sites has been restructured into seven Site Licence Companies.

• Sellafield Ltd (whose Parent Body Organisation is Nuclear Management Partners Ltd): This Site Licence Company comprises Sellafield nuclear chemical facility (previously BNFL's British Nuclear Group subsidiary), including Calder Hall, Windscale and the Capenhurst uranium enrichment plant

• 10 other Magnox nuclear power stations which have been restructured into two Site Licence Companies:
  • Magnox North Ltd:This Site Licence Company comprises Chapelcross; Hunterston A; Trawsfynydd; Wylfa and Oldbury
  • Magnox South Ltd: This Site Licence Company comprises Berkeley; Bradwell; Dungeness A; Hinkley Point A and Sizewell A

• Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd: This Site Licence Company comprises the Dounreay site only

• Research Sites Restoration Ltd (currently owned by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA)): This Site Licence Company comprises the Harwell and Winfrith facilities

• LLW Repository Ltd (whose Parent Body Organisation is UK Nuclear Waste Management Ltd (UKNWM Ltd)): : This Site Licence Company comprises the Low Level Waste Repository near Drigg in Cumbria

• Springfields Fuels Ltd (whose Parent Body Organisation is Toshiba's Westinghouse Electric Company subsidiary): This Site Licence Company comprises the Springfields nuclear fuel production facility near Preston, Lancashire

On its creation, the NDA also took over ownership of Direct Rail Services, the rail freight operating company set up by BNFL in 1995 to transport nuclear materials.

In 2006, the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced his support for a National Nuclear Laboratory to be based on the British Technology Centre at Sellafield and Nexia Solutions ^[1]. The NDA, as the owner of Sellafield site and the funder of majority of research required across the nuclear estate, is involved in discussions with Government on the best way to take this project forward.

A National Nuclear Laboratory will complement other initiatives to develop a sustainable workforce such as the National Skills Academy for Nuclear (NSAN) network, including the development of Energus in West Cumbria, alongside complementary research and development facilities such as the Dalton Cumbria Institute. All are reflected in the NDA Strategy.

[edit] Costs

In 2005 the cost of decommissioning these sites was planned at £55.8 billion, with Sellafield requiring £31.5 billion. However in 2006 the NDA reported that the cost of cleaning up existing waste was higher than previously thought, and gave a new estimated decommissioning cost of about £72 billion over a 100 year period. [2] In 2008 estimated decommissioning costs increased to £73.6 billion, or after taking account of discount rates £44.1 billion. [3] A 2006 estimate foresaw £14bn of offsetting income from reprocessing fuel at Sellafield.[4] In 2009 the NDA sold land near three existing reactor sites for expected new nuclear power stations, for over £200m.^[2]

[edit] See also

• Nuclear power in the United Kingdom
• Energy policy of the United Kingdom
• Energy use and conservation in the United Kingdom
• National Nuclear Laboratory

[edit] References

1. ^ Alistair Darling announces the formation of the National Nuclear Laboratory, www.nda.gov.uk (30/06/06).
2. ^ [1]

[edit] External links

• NDA website
• National Nuclear Laboratory
• Nuclear clean-up cost up to £56bn, BBC, 11 August 2005
• Nuclear clean-up 'to cost £70bn', BBC, 30 March 2006
• Mapping out the UK's nuclear future, by Jorn Madslien, BBC News
• Sellafield awaits nuclear power's rebirth, by Jorn Madslien, BBC News
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4818370.stm, by Jorn Madslien, BBC News
• The sale of Britain's nuclear giant, by Jorn Madslien, BBC News
• "The UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority", Steve Thomas (2004), Public Services International Research Unit, University of Greenwich
• UK nuclear decommissioning efforts now answerable to Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Bellona Foundation, 4 April 2005
• UK nuclear industry is allegedly "cheating the market", Bellona Foundation, 18 January 2005