Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
Encyclopedia
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. NDA does not directly manage the UK's nuclear sites. it oversees the work through contracts with specially designed companies known as site licence companies. NDA determines the overall strategy and priorities for managing decommissioning.
Although the NDA itself only employs 300 staff, its annual budget is £2.2 billion. The vast majority of the NDA budget is spent through contracts with site licence companies, who also sub contract to other companies which provide special services. The NDA aims to do this by introducing innovation and contractor expertise through a series of competitions similar to the model that has been used in the US.
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.
The NDA is also the owner of International Nuclear Services, which manages contracts on behalf of the NDA for operations such as the storage and transport of nuclear fuels.
s £44.1 billion. A 2006 estimate foresaw £14bn of offsetting income from reprocessing fuel at Sellafield
. In 2009 the NDA sold land near three existing reactor sites for expected new nuclear power stations, for over £200m.
(NNL) to be based on the British Technology Centre at Sellafield and Nexia Solutions. The NDA, as the owner of Sellafield site and the funder of majority of research required across the nuclear estate, was involved establishing the NNL in 2009. The NNL complements 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.
Non-departmental public body
In the United Kingdom, a non-departmental public body —often referred to as a quango—is a classification applied by the Cabinet Office, Treasury, Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive to certain types of public bodies...
of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
formed by the Energy Act 2004
Energy Act 2004
The Energy Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-Section 198 - Short title, commencement and extent:The following orders have been made under this section:* *...
. It came into existence in late 2004, and took on its main functions on 1 April 2005. Its purpose is to deliver the decommissioning
Nuclear decommissioning
Nuclear decommissioning is the dismantling of a nuclear power plant and decontamination of the site to a state no longer requiring protection from radiation for the general public...
and clean-up of the UK’s civil nuclear
Nuclear power in the United Kingdom
Nuclear power currently generates around a sixth of the United Kingdom's electricity. As of 2011, the United Kingdom operates 19 nuclear reactors at nine locations...
legacy in a safe and cost-effective manner, and where possible to accelerate programmes of work that reduce hazard. NDA does not directly manage the UK's nuclear sites. it oversees the work through contracts with specially designed companies known as site licence companies. NDA determines the overall strategy and priorities for managing decommissioning.
Although the NDA itself only employs 300 staff, its annual budget is £2.2 billion. The vast majority of the NDA budget is spent through contracts with site licence companies, who also sub contract to other companies which provide special services. The NDA aims to do this by introducing innovation and contractor expertise through a series of competitions similar to the model that has been used in the US.
Objectives
The main objectives of NDA are to:- eliminate site hazards and develop waste solutions;
- ensure the highest standards in safety, security and environmental management;
- build an effective world class industry;
- gain full approval and support from stakeholders (employees, contractors, government, local communities and general public); and
- make best use of assets and maximise value-for-money.
Structure
Responsibility for operating the sites has been restructured into six Site Licence Companies. The management of the Site Licence Companies is contracted out to different Parent Body Organisations, which are owned by private companies.- Sellafield Ltd was previously BNFLBNFLBritish Nuclear Fuels Limited was a nuclear energy and fuels company owned by the UK Government. It was a former manufacturer and transporter of nuclear fuel , ran reactors, generated and sold electricity, reprocessed and managed spent fuel , and decommissioned nuclear plants and other similar...
's British Nuclear Group subsidiary. It comprises SellafieldSellafieldSellafield is a nuclear reprocessing site, close to the village of Seascale on the coast of the Irish Sea in Cumbria, England. The site is served by Sellafield railway station. Sellafield is an off-shoot from the original nuclear reactor site at Windscale which is currently undergoing...
nuclear chemical facility, Calder Hall, Windscale and the CapenhurstCapenhurstCapenhurst is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England and located on the Wirral Peninsula to the south west of the town of Ellesmere Port...
uraniumUraniumUranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
enrichment plant. Its Parent Body Organisation is Nuclear Management Partners Ltd, a consortium of URS, AMECAMECAMEC plc is a global consultancy, engineering and project management company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is focused on the oil and gas, minerals and metals, renewable energy, environment and infrastructure sectors and has offices in 40 countries worldwide...
and ArevaArevaAREVA is a French public multinational industrial conglomerate headquartered in the Tour Areva in Courbevoie, Paris. AREVA is mainly known for nuclear power; it also has interests in other energy projects. It was created on 3 September 2001, by the merger of Framatome , Cogema and...
.
- Magnox LtdMagnox LtdMagnox Ltd is a nuclear decommissioning Site Licence Company controlled by Reactor Sites Management Company, its designated Parent Body Organisation...
manages ten MagnoxMagnoxMagnox is a now obsolete type of nuclear power reactor which was designed and is still in use in the United Kingdom, and was exported to other countries, both as a power plant, and, when operated accordingly, as a producer of plutonium for nuclear weapons...
nuclear power stations and was previously two separate Site Licence Companies. It comprises ChapelcrossChapelcross nuclear power stationChapelcross was a Magnox nuclear power plant located near the town of Annan in Dumfries and Galloway in south west Scotland. It was the sister plant to Calder Hall in Cumbria, England, both commissioned and originally operated by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.The primary purpose of...
, Hunterston AHunterston A nuclear power stationHunterston A nuclear power station was a Magnox power station located at Hunterston in Ayrshire, Scotland, adjacent to Hunterston B and is currently being decommissioned.-History:...
, TrawsfynyddTrawsfynydd nuclear power stationTrawsfyndd nuclear power station is a disused Magnox power station situated at Trawsfynydd in Gwynedd, Wales.-History:Construction of the power station, which was undertaken by a consortium involving Crompton Parkinson, International Combustion, Fairey Engineering and Richardsons Westgarth, and...
, Wylfa and OldburyOldbury nuclear power stationOldbury nuclear power station is a nuclear power station located on the south bank of the River Severn close to the village of Oldbury-on-Severn in South Gloucestershire, England. It is operated by Magnox North Limited, on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority...
(previously Magnox North Ltd) and BerkeleyBerkeley nuclear power stationBerkeley nuclear power station is a disused Magnox power station situated on the bank of the River Severn in Gloucestershire, England.-History:The construction of the power station, which was undertaken by a consortium of AEI and John Thompson began in 1956....
, Bradwell, Dungeness A, Hinkley Point AHinkley Point A nuclear power stationHinkley Point A nuclear power station was a Magnox power station located on a site in Somerset on the Bristol Channel coast, west of the River Parrett estuary.-History:...
and Sizewell ASizewell nuclear power stationsSizewell nuclear power stations are two nuclear power stations located near the small fishing village of Sizewell in Suffolk, England. Sizewell A, with two magnox reactors, is now in the process of being decommissioned, while Sizewell B has a single pressurised water reactor and is the UK's newest...
(previously Magnox South Ltd). Its Parent Body Organisation is Reactor Sites Management Company Ltd, owned by EnergySolutions.
- Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd comprises the DounreayDounreayDounreay is the site of several nuclear research establishments located on the north coast of Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland...
site. Its Parent Body Organisation is UKAEA Ltd, owned by Babcock International GroupBabcock International GroupBabcock International Group plc is a British-based support services company specialising in managing complex assets and infrastructure in safety-critical and mission-critical environments. Although the company has civil contracts, its main business is with public bodies, particularly the UK...
.
- Research Sites Restoration Ltd comprises the Harwell and WinfrithWinfrithWinfrith was a United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority site near Winfrith Newburgh in Dorset. It covered an area on Bovington Heath to the west of the village of Wool between the A352 road and the London Waterloo to Weymouth railway line....
facilities. Its Parent Body Organisation is also UKAEA Ltd.
- LLW Repository Ltd comprises the Low Level Waste RepositoryLow Level Waste RepositoryLow Level Waste Repository is the UK's low-level radioactive waste repository located on the West Cumbrian coast approximately six kilometres south east of the Sellafield nuclear site at Drigg village. The site stores waste from Sellafield, MoD sites, nuclear power stations, hospitals,...
near DriggDriggDrigg is a village situated in the civil parish of Drigg and Carleton on the West Cumbria coast of the Irish Sea and on the boundary of the Lake District National Park in the county of Cumbria, England....
in Cumbria. Its Parent Body Organisation is UK Nuclear Waste Management Ltd, a consortium of URS, StudsvikStudsvikStudsvik is a supplier of nuclear analysis software and specialised services to the international nuclear industry, with 60 years of experience. The company is headquartered in Nyköping, Sweden and has five divisions: Sweden, United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, and Global Services. There...
, ArevaArevaAREVA is a French public multinational industrial conglomerate headquartered in the Tour Areva in Courbevoie, Paris. AREVA is mainly known for nuclear power; it also has interests in other energy projects. It was created on 3 September 2001, by the merger of Framatome , Cogema and...
and SercoSerco GroupSerco Group plc is a government services company based in Hook, North Hampshire in the United Kingdom. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.-History:...
.
- Springfields Fuels Ltd comprises the Springfields nuclear fuel production facility near Preston, Lancashire. Its Parent Body Organisation is Westinghouse Electric CompanyWestinghouse Electric CompanyWestinghouse Electric Company LLC is a nuclear power company, offering a wide range of nuclear products and services to utilities throughout the world, including nuclear fuel, service and maintenance, instrumentation and control and advanced nuclear plant designs...
, a subsidiary of ToshibaToshibais a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
.
On its creation, the NDA also took over ownership of Direct Rail Services
Direct Rail Services
Direct Rail Services is a freight operating company created by British Nuclear Fuels Limited. The company started rail operations in 1995 using five heavily refurbished Class 20/3 diesel locomotives. Since then it has expanded greatly, and has acquired many more locomotives, most bought...
, the rail freight operating company set up by BNFL
BNFL
British Nuclear Fuels Limited was a nuclear energy and fuels company owned by the UK Government. It was a former manufacturer and transporter of nuclear fuel , ran reactors, generated and sold electricity, reprocessed and managed spent fuel , and decommissioned nuclear plants and other similar...
in 1995 to transport nuclear materials.
The NDA is also the owner of International Nuclear Services, which manages contracts on behalf of the NDA for operations such as the storage and transport of nuclear fuels.
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. In 2008 estimated decommissioning costs increased to £73.6 billion, or after taking account of discount rateDiscount rate
The discount rate can mean*an interest rate a central bank charges depository institutions that borrow reserves from it, for example for the use of the Federal Reserve's discount window....
s £44.1 billion. A 2006 estimate foresaw £14bn of offsetting income from reprocessing fuel at Sellafield
Sellafield
Sellafield is a nuclear reprocessing site, close to the village of Seascale on the coast of the Irish Sea in Cumbria, England. The site is served by Sellafield railway station. Sellafield is an off-shoot from the original nuclear reactor site at Windscale which is currently undergoing...
. In 2009 the NDA sold land near three existing reactor sites for expected new nuclear power stations, for over £200m.
National Nuclear Laboratory
In 2006, the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced his support for a National Nuclear LaboratoryNational Nuclear Laboratory
The National Nuclear Laboratory is a UK government-owned, commercially operated nuclear services technology provider covering the whole of the nuclear fuel cycle. It is fully customer-funded and operates at six locations in the United Kingdom...
(NNL) to be based on the British Technology Centre at Sellafield and Nexia Solutions. The NDA, as the owner of Sellafield site and the funder of majority of research required across the nuclear estate, was involved establishing the NNL in 2009. The NNL complements 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.
External links
- NDA website
- National Nuclear Laboratory
- National Skills Academy for Nuclear
- Nuclear clean-up cost up to £56bn, BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, 11 August 2005 - Nuclear clean-up 'to cost £70bn', BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, 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 FoundationBellona FoundationThe Bellona Foundation is a multi-disciplinary international environmental NGO based in Oslo, Norway. Founded in 1986 by Frederic Hauge and Rune Haaland as a direct action protest group, it has since blossomed into a recognized technology and solution-oriented environmental champion with offices on...
, 4 April 2005 - UK nuclear industry is allegedly "cheating the market", Bellona FoundationBellona FoundationThe Bellona Foundation is a multi-disciplinary international environmental NGO based in Oslo, Norway. Founded in 1986 by Frederic Hauge and Rune Haaland as a direct action protest group, it has since blossomed into a recognized technology and solution-oriented environmental champion with offices on...
, 18 January 2005