The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has allocated £30 million in contracts to propel research and innovation in developing advanced techniques for safe,

sustainable, and cost-effective nuclear decommissioning.

Tasked with the complex challenge of cleaning up the UK’s oldest nuclear sites, many of which were constructed without decommissioning considerations, the NDA is turning to pioneering engineering and technological solutions to address these issues. This initiative is part of the NDA's broader strategy, which includes an annual investment of £100 million in Research & Development (R&D) to tackle technical challenges more effectively, efficiently, and economically.

The NDA Research Portfolio (NRP) competition is a cornerstone of the NDA’s strategic research agenda. It directly funds research that aligns with the NDA's strategic objectives, including fostering a diverse skill set within the supply chain and encouraging innovation across multiple sites.

Kate Canning, NDA’s Head of R&D, expressed enthusiasm about the diversity and quality of the submissions, stating:

“We are delighted with the high quality of the submissions received, including from many new organisations alongside those established in the nuclear sector.

It’s an exciting time for the nuclear industry and we believe the range of organisations involved in the frameworks will provide a diverse range of experience and knowledge to deliver innovative research supporting the delivery of the NDA mission”.  

The £30 million in contracts will be distributed across three key research areas:

University Interactions: Supporting academic research to cultivate skills within the nuclear decommissioning sector.

Enabling Decommissioning, Waste Management, and Remediation: Advancing research in radioactive waste management and decommissioning practices.

Spent Fuels and Nuclear Material: Facilitating research in the storage and disposal of spent fuel, as well as the development of strategies for plutonium and uranium management.

The seven consortia awarded contracts comprise over 60 organizations, including established nuclear companies, global cross-sector corporations, UK universities, national laboratories, and small and medium-sized enterprises.

These contracts will run for four years, replacing the previous Direct Research Portfolio (DRP) awarded in 2020. Past successes from the NRP include the development of new treatment technologies for uranic materials and a non-contact asbestos detection system using hyperspectral techniques to support decommissioning efforts.

The NRP also supports the NDA’s University Research Strategy and will address cross-industry R&D needs identified by the Nuclear Waste and Decommissioning Research Forum (NWDRF), which aims to enhance coordination of R&D across the UK’s decommissioning and waste management activities.

For further information on NDA’s research interests, please refer to the latest publication, NDA Areas of Research Interest.