The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

Last Updated: 25 January 2012

"Uranics" are uranium containing, non-fuel based materials which have been produced as a result of fuel cycle operations. The bulk of uranic materials fit into one of the following categories:

• Magnox Depleted Uranium (MDU) and Thorp Product Uranium (TPU) from reprocessing
• Uranium Hexafluoride tails from enrichment (UF₆)
• Highly enriched uranium
• Low enriched uranium tetrafluoride (UF₄)
• Unirradiated low enriched, natural or depleted uranium contained in both bulk material and contaminated residues

The bulk of this material is held at the Capenhurst, Springfields and Sellafield sites.The bulk of this material is held at the Springfields and Capenhurst sites.

 Storage strategy for NDA owned Uranium Hexafluoride Tails 2010 (200Kb)

Objective

To ensure the safe management then ultimate disposition of UK owned uranics.

Scope and Boundaries

Our uranics strategy relates to material owned by the NDA and stored on our sites.  Presently, it does not include future management options for uranic material owned by British Energy, the Ministry of Defence or material owned by overseas reprocessing customers, other than for continued contracted storage at NDA sites.

Interfaces

The uranics strategy interfaces with a number of other topics including:

• Spent Magnox fuel topic strategy is related because one of the products of Magnox fuel reprocessing, MDU, is uranic material
• Spent exotic fuel topic strategy is related because some exotic fuel is likely to be converted to potentially reusable uranic material
• Higher Activity Wastes topic strategy is related because some uranic material could be disposed of as waste
• Revenue and Asset optimisation topic strategies is related because there is potential for the sale or re-use of some uranic material

Credible Options

At a high level, the strategic options and corresponding sub-options that apply to uranics are:

1 Extended storage followed by disposition

2 Interim storage, condition for disposal as waste, and dispose

3 Interim storage followed by reuse and disposal as spent fuel

3.1  Direct sale of material

3.2  Process materials using existing or new facilities

The varied forms in which uranic materials exist means that it is unlikely that a single strategic option could manage the full inventory.  A major consideration in selecting the preferred strategic option includes whether or not the material in question has any value in the commercial market place. Some of the materials stored at UK sites may be of interest to the market and a project is in progress to investigate this possibility. The NDA has initiated work to evaluate the economic viability of re-using uranic materials and has begun to investigate the technologies for storing, conditioning and disposing of the wide-ranging inventory.

Current Position

The current strategy is for uranic materials to be safely and securely stored indefinitely in existing (or replacement as required) facilities.

The current strategy does not provide a clear end point for the uranic inventory.  For the NDA to deliver its remit it will seek to develop a revised strategy for uranic material.  Work is progressing in accordance with the Strategy Management System (SMS) to develop a sustainable strategy for approval by Government as appropriate.