NDA Estate-Wide Decommissioning Programme
Across the UK (various nuclear sites) · Ongoing (estimated completion by 2120) · £121bn (estimated total cost, highly uncertain)
The judgement call
Account-gated at launchThe NDA's mission is to clean up the UK's nuclear legacy, a task that will take over 100 years and cost an estimated £121 billion. - The programme involves a phased approach to decommissioning, focusing on hazard reduction and preparing sites for future use. - Continuous engagement with stakeholders and communities is crucial for the successful delivery of the programme. - The programme highlights the unique challenges of managing a national nuclear legacy and the need for long-term strategic planning and investment.
Key engineering challenges
Decommissioning a diverse range of nuclear facilities, from early Magnox reactors to research facilities and reprocessing plants. - Managing a vast and complex inventory of radioactive waste, including legacy wastes from early nuclear programs. - Developing and implementing innovative technologies for remote handling, waste retrieval, and hazard reduction. - Ensuring long-term safety and environmental protection across multiple sites over an extended period (decades to centuries).
Project facts
- Client / owner
- Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA)
- Lead contractor
- Various Site Licence Companies (SLCs) like Sellafield Ltd, Magnox Ltd, Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd (DSRL), Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS)
- Lead designers
- Various firms and internal teams within SLCs
- Project type
- decommissioning | waste management
- Scale
- Decommissioning 17 nuclear sites across the UK, managing a vast inventory of radioactive waste
- Disciplines
- nuclear; civil; structural; mechanical; electrical; waste management; environmental engineering; safety; regulatory compliance; project management
- Standards & frameworks
- ONR, Environment Agency regulations, IAEA standards
Sources: GOV.UK: NDA Business Plan 2026 to 2029 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nuclear-decommissioning-authority-group-business-plan-2026-to-2029/nda-business-plan-2026-to-2029) - NDA Blog: Challenges – Cleaning up our nuclear past: faster, safer and (https://nda.blog.gov.uk/tag/challenges/) - NIA UK: NDA calls for engagement on refreshed decommissioning strategy (https://www.niauk.org/nda-calls-for-engagement-on-refreshed-decommissioning-strategy/) - NAO: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority: progress with reducing risk at Sellafield (https://www.nao.org.uk/reports/the-nuclear-decommissioning-authority-progress-with-reducing-risk-at-sellafield/) - Nuclear Waste Services: Decommissioning underpins ambitions for homegrown clean energy (https://www.nuclearwasteservices.uk/2026/01/decommissioning-underpins-ambitions-for-homegrown-clean-energy/)