Radioactive waste is to be transported from Aldermaston to be dumped at Sellafield

Posted: 22nd March 2021

It’s not clear yet how the waste will be transported, but it looks like 
the movements will be starting soon if they haven’t already started. 


Case Study: Treatment and Storage of Atomic Weapons Establishment Higher 
Activity Waste

MOD and the NDA have both made commitments to work together to manage 
nuclear liabilities in the national interest.

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Ministry of Defence, Sellafield Ltd, 
and Low Level Waste Repository Ltd
18 March 2021
https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/treatment-and-storage-of-atomic-weapons-establishment-higher-activity-waste

Since the 1950s, the UK has operated a number of fuel cycle and waste 
management facilities including waste handling, treatment and storage 
facilities. Since 2005, the NDA has made progress in reducing the risk 
and hazard associated with its own facilities and wastes and has 
capabilities (which are required to deliver the NDA’s mission) that 
could be utilised to manage other nuclear liabilities from across the UK 
public sector. An example of this is the planned treatment and 
management of a quantity of the Atomic Weapons Establishment’s (AWE) HAW.

MOD and the NDA have both made commitments to work together to manage 
nuclear liabilities in the national interest. As part of a study of Best 
Available Techniques (BAT) for the management of AWE’s HAW, the NDA 
agreed to include the use of its own facilities as one of the credible 
options.

Following a joint (NDA and AWE) assessment of the options, and taking 
into account many factors including safety, value for taxpayer money, 
and environmental protection, the preferred option was to use existing 
waste treatment facilities at the Sellafield site.

The preferred option has a number of advantages:

it represents significant cost avoidance for the UK taxpayer. AWE’s 
initial investment appraisal estimated the cumulative lifetime cost of 
an option sited at AWE was £600-720 million, whereas the preferred 
option will have a lifetime cost which is substantially lower
existing plant and skilled resource would be sustained at the Sellafield 
site
the environmental cost, capital investment, risk and additional 
liability for decommissioning associated with a new construction would 
be avoided
hazard reduction at the Aldermaston site could be accelerated without 
adding to the risk burden at Sellafield
AWE investment has increased the capability of HAW processing at Sellafield.

Furthermore, the retention of safely packaged HAW at Sellafield avoids 
operational, logistical and environmental issues associated with 
returning the waste to Aldermaston. This programme of work is being 
delivered through effective collaboration between MOD, BEIS, AWE, NDA, 
Sellafield Limited and Low Level Waste Repository Limited (LLWR 
Limited), despite challenges due to differences in departmental processes.

There has been sustained regulatory and stakeholder engagement 
throughout. A monthly programme board and working group oversees 
delivery of the necessary interventions to ensure that the collaboration 
is successful and continues to be in the best interest of the UK. The 
first shipment is due for completion in early 2021.

Effective collaboration has supported the resolution of a number of 
commercial, operational and logistical challenges, including:

cross-sector commercial policy approaches
title transfer of material at the appropriate point in time, to satisfy 
obligations under international safeguards
enabling the transportation of HAW by sharing good practice.

Find out more – call Caroline on 01722 321865 or email us.