The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

14 June 2007

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has launched a public consultation into the NDA’s proposal to allow advance allocation of THORP reprocessing products to overseas customers in certain circumstances.

Overseas customers send their spent fuel to Sellafield for reprocessing in THORP. This process sees re-usable nuclear materials, plutonium and uranium being separated from waste. Once completed, the materials and waste are sent back to the customer.

Under the NDA’s proposal, the customer would receive an allocation of materials and waste from existing stocks which is equivalent to their spent fuel consignment although their materials may not yet have been reprocessed.

The NDA will only support advance allocation arrangements in a given case where there is a specific justification that requires it and where it is satisfied that doing so will be of economic benefit to the UK.

The NDA has sought the approval of the DTI for this proposal in line with its governance arrangements and in accordance with policy set out in the Government White Paper “Managing the Nuclear legacy” which requires the Secretary of State’s approval for any changes to existing contracts at THORP.

The proposal would guarantee the availability of nuclear materials to overseas customers on a timescale that meets their needs and which best facilitates the timely return of waste, plutonium and uranium.

It does not affect the broader approach to waste management and is essentially a business matter between the customer, the NDA which owns the site and its contractor British Nuclear Group Sellafield Ltd.

Advance allocation has no impact on the amount of radioactive waste to be disposed of in the UK. Overseas customers will receive the appropriate amount of waste as normal.

The process of advance allocation is broadly neutral in terms of its net effect on the environment.

There will be no overall increase in the transportation of radioactive materials: the same amount of new fuel and waste will be sent back to customers.

Full details of the consultation which runs for six weeks from 14 June 2007 are available on the DTI’s website.