Corporate report

Case studies: Spent Fuels strategic theme

Updated 2 October 2023

Overview

Our strategy defines our approach to managing the diverse range of spent fuels for which we are responsible, which are divided into Magnox, Oxide and Exotic. Once spent fuel is removed from a reactor, it is stored in a pond or dry store until it can be dispatched to Sellafield. For more information on the types of spent fuels we manage, see our Strategy document.

The NDA’s strategy has been to bring the reprocessing programme to an end. The THORP reprocessing plant and the Magnox reprocessing plant have now closed. All remaining spent fuel will be safely stored until a permanent solution for disposal is available. The strategy for all remaining spent fuels is to place them in an interim store pending a future decision on whether to classify them as waste for disposal in a GDF. For planning purposes, we assume that all the remaining spent fuels will be disposed of in a GDF.

Our spent fuel work is separated into 15 strategic outcomes that we must deliver, outlined below.

Spent Magnox fuel
Group key target	Activity	2023 % complete	Sellafield	Magnox	Dounreay	NWS	NTS	Capenhurst	Springfields
1	All sites defueled	100	X	X			X
2	All legacy Magnox fuel retrieved	25	X
3	All Magnox fuel reprocessing completed	100	X
4	All remaining Magnox fuel in interim storage	17	X
5	All remaining Magnox fuel disposed	0	X			X
Spent Oxide fuel
6	All EDF Energy oxide fuel received	61	X				X
7	All legacy oxide fuel retrieved	100	X
8	All oxide fuel reprocessing completed	100	X
9	All remaining oxide fuel in interim storage	57	X
10	All remaining oxide fuel disposed	0	X			X
Spent Exotic fuel
11	All exotic fuel defueled	73	X		X
12	All exotic fuel consolidated	62	X		X		X
13	All exotic fuel reprocessing completed	100	X
14	All remaining exotic fuel in interim storage	84	X
15	All remaining exotic fuel disposed	0	X			X

MOX fuel transport arrives safely in Japan - Summary

Nuclear Transport Solutions has safely completed another shipment of fuel to Japan, delivering a cargo of 16 MOX fuel assemblies to the Takahama Nuclear Power Station. The Pacific Heron and Pacific Egret vessels departed from Europe carrying the fuel assemblies, which were manufactured in France.

It’s another demonstration of the 45-year history of safe and secure transportation of nuclear materials between Europe and Japan.

MOX fuel transport arrives safely in Japan

For more information

MOX fuel transport arrives safely in Japan - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Magnox Reprocessing Plant completes mission - Summary

Sellafield’s Magnox Reprocessing Plant ceased operations this year, completing a mission spanning six decades. The plant handled around 55,000 tonnes of spent fuel during its lifetime from the UK, Italy and Japan. In total, it returned over 15,000 tonnes of uranium back into the fuel cycle.

Magnox Reprocessing Plant completes mission

For more information

Job done: Sellafield plant safely completes its mission - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)