Although the NDA itself employs about 250 staff, its subsidiaries employ about 15,000 staff across the NDA estate.[1]
Its annual budget is £3.5billion, the vast majority of which is spent through contracts with site licence companies, who also subcontract to other companies which provide special services. The NDA aims to do this by introducing innovation and contractor expertise through a series of competitions similar to the model that has been used in the United States.
In April 2017, the NDA lost a legal case in the
Supreme Court regarding the
procurement of a sizeable contract for the decommissioning of twelve different
Magnox nuclear facilities when EnergySolutions EU (now called ATK Energy EU) challenged a decision in connection with ATK's unsuccessful bid.[2] In February 2018 Parliament's
Public Accounts Committee (PAC) concluded that the NDA had "dramatically under-estimated" costs and "completely failed" in the procurement and management of the
Magnox Ltd contract, which was one of the highest value contracts let by the government. An independent inquiry into the deal was set up.[3][4]
Activities
Objectives
The main objectives of NDA are to:
eliminate site hazards and develop waste solutions;
ensure the highest standards in safety, security and environmental management;
build an effective world class industry;
gain full approval and support from stakeholders (employees, contractors, government, local communities and general public); and
make best use of assets and maximise value-for-money.
Structure
Responsibility for operating the sites has been restructured into five site licence companies (SLC). Management of the SLCs was formerly contracted out to different parent body organisations (PBO), some of which were initially owned by private companies.[5] More recently, the NDA has transitioned to a "group approach" of SLCs being wholly-owned NDA subsidiaries [6]
Sellafield Ltd was previously
BNFL's British Nuclear Group subsidiary. It comprises the
Sellafield nuclear chemical facility and
Calder Hall. It also previously managed the
Capenhursturanium enrichment plant, which is now owned by
Urenco.[7] Its PBO was formerly Nuclear Management Partners Ltd, a consortium of
URS,
Amec Foster Wheeler and
Areva. However, Sellafield Ltd has been under the direct control of the NDA since April 2016.
Dounreay Site Restoration Limited (DSRL) comprises the
Dounreay site. Until March 2021, its PBO was Cavendish Dounreay Partnership, a consortium of
Babcock International,
CH2M Hill and
URS. It is now directly managed by the NDA.[9]
LLW Repository comprises the
Low Level Waste Repository near
Drigg in Cumbria. Until July 2021, its PBO was UK Nuclear Waste Management, a consortium of
URS,
Studsvik,
Areva and
Serco. It is now a subsidiary of the NDA.[9]
On its creation, the NDA also took over ownership of
Direct Rail Services, the rail
freight operating company set up by BNFL in 1995 to transport nuclear materials; and
International Nuclear Services, which operates services on behalf of the NDA for the management and transportation of nuclear fuels. Both have since merged to become Nuclear Transport Solutions.[10]
The NDA is also the owner of Radioactive Waste Management (RWM), which is responsible for implementing a
geological disposal facility in the UK and provide
radioactive waste management solutions.
In February 2017, a national archive for the UK civil nuclear industry, named Nucleus, was opened in
Wick, Caithness, Scotland.[11]
Costs
NDA increasing estimates of remaining cost of decommissioning and clean-up[12][13]
In 2005, the cost of decommissioning these sites was planned at £55.8billion, with Sellafield requiring £31.5billion.[16] However, in 2006, the NDA reported that the cost of cleaning up existing waste was higher than previously thought, and gave a new estimated decommissioning cost of about £72billion over a 100-year period.[17] In 2008, estimated decommissioning costs increased to £73.6billion, or after taking account of
discount rates, £44.1billion.[18] A 2006 estimate foresaw £14billion of offsetting income from reprocessing fuel at
Sellafield.[17] In 2009, the NDA sold land near three existing reactor sites for expected new nuclear power stations, for over £200million.[19]
In 2013, a critical
Public Accounts Committee report stated that the private consortium managing Sellafield has failed to reduce costs and delays. Between 2005 and 2013, the annual costs of operating Sellafield increased from £900 million to about £1.6billion. The estimated lifetime
undiscounted cost of dealing with the Sellafield site increased to £67.5billion.[20][21][22] Bosses were forced to apologise after projected clean-up costs passed the £70billion mark in late 2013.[23] In 2014, the undiscounted decommissioning cost estimate for Sellafield was increased to £79.1billion,[24] and by 2015 to £117.4billion.[13] The annual operating cost will be £2billion in 2016.[25]
In 2018, the
discount rate used in evaluating future spending was changed from a
HM Treasury determined real terms discount rate to a rate that combined a nominal discount rate and an implied inflation rate based on
Consumer Price Index forecasts. This nearly halved the estimate of the remaining cost of decommissioning and clean-up.[15]
The expenditure of the NDA in 2022/23 was £3,759m and income £1,059m, leading to a net expenditure of £2,700m.[26]
National Nuclear Laboratory
In 2006, the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced his support for a
National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) to be based on the British Technology Centre at Sellafield and Nexia Solutions.[27] The NDA, as the owner of Sellafield site and the funder of majority of research required across the nuclear estate, was involved establishing the NNL in 2009. The NNL complements other initiatives to develop a sustainable workforce such as the National Skills Academy for Nuclear (NSAN) network, including the development of Energus in West Cumbria, alongside complementary research and development facilities such as the Dalton Nuclear Institute.
Companies with headquarters and/or registered office in the UK but no applicable energy operations within the country shown in italics1Ultimate parent company is not UK-based 2Integrated in the United States, no generation or supply activities in the UK