The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

01 September 2010

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has today (1 September 2010) published the draft of its updated Strategy for consultation.  

A statutory requirement under the Energy Act, this document follows on from the NDA's first Strategy document published in 2006, which described its strategic approach to the 19 sites across the UK for which the NDA is accountable.  

In its first five years the NDA has made significant progress on a number of fronts to tackle the unprecedented challenges it faces. Before the NDA was established there was no coherent strategy for decommissioning and clean-up in the UK and the nature and scale of the task inherited by the organisation in 2005 was ill-defined and poorly costed.  

Since then, the NDA has developed a comprehensive understanding of the legacy and introduced industry-wide procedures to create realistic, long-term, costed plans. It has driven efficiencies to deliver value for money to the UK taxpayer and restructured the industry – bringing in the world's leading nuclear contractors to manage its sites.  

It has also achieved real reductions in the level of nuclear and non-nuclear hazards at its sites, developed clear strategies for low and higher level wastes and provided advice to  government on credible options for managing UK plutonium, while delivering some notable commercial successes.  

Now the NDA is looking at how it can build on its achievements so far – and hopes that the Strategy consultation, which runs until 24 November will help to refine and strengthen its plans. In future, more sophisticated and diverse approaches will be needed to deliver best value. The NDA aims to make better use of its human resources and physical assets to deliver its mission.  

Adrian Simper, NDA Strategy Director said:

"We are operating in a very different world to that in which we published our first strategy in 2006 – when neither the global nuclear renaissance nor the financial downturn were anticipated.  

"Our approach is to build on the secure platform achieved in our first five years and extract real value from the industry restructuring we have delivered. We will continue to  focus on projects and programmes that address our priorities - in particular hazard reduction, while maximising commercial income opportunities to help offset the call on the public purse."              

"In this Strategy we are really focusing on our high level thinking – being much clearer on where issues have been examined and the strategy is now mature, and where there are still strategic challenges to be addressed."  

The consultation focuses on a series of questions grouped around six strategic themes –and the NDA is keen to hear a range of views which may influence and add to current thinking.

For the full list of questions and to respond to the consultation see:

• Our consultations