News

Thursday 7 June 2012

NDA publishes Preferred Option on Oxide Fuels

NDA has today published its Preferred Option paper following the completion of its strategic review of the options for the management of oxide fuels.

Oxide fuels include the remaining overseas-derived spent fuels that are being stored at Sellafield pending reprocessing in THORP and also the spent fuels coming from the UK’s fleet of AGR power stations, owned and operated by EDF Energy.

The strategic review confirms the NDA’s position that completing the reprocessing contracts at THORP remains a viable and cost-effective strategy. Any remaining AGR fuel, including any future arisings, will be placed into interim storage pending a decision to dispose of it in a geological disposal facility. This will result in the reprocessing contracts being complete by 2018, at which time THORP would cease reprocessing activities and enter a post-closure and clean out phase prior to decommissioning.

For more information please access the NDA’s website on:

http://www.nda.gov.uk/news/oxide-fuels-preferred-option.cfm