WIREDGOV

Update on NDA structure regarding transport and waste businesses.

I am pleased to be able to share with you some significant developments within our transport and waste businesses, underlining our commitment to working more collaboratively, effectively and efficiently across the NDA group in our work to reduce hazards and clean up the UK’s earliest nuclear sites.

The move will see a more collaborative, effective and efficient way of working across the NDA group.

A nuclear transport division will bring together the expertise and capabilities within its existing businesses Direct Rail Services (DRS), International Nuclear Services (INS) and its subsidiary Pacific Nuclear Transport Ltd (PNTL).

A new waste division will comprise the NDA’s waste disposal companies Low Level Waste Repository (LLWR) and Radioactive Waste Management (RWM) initially, with the potential for further growth in the future.

Nuclear Transport Solutions

In February 2020, the NDA made the decision to create a nuclear transport division with the start of a transformation programme aimed at enhancing the wider nuclear transport priorities of customers in the UK and overseas.

The new organisation will be called Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS) and will start operating as an organisation in February.

NTS will be a centre of excellence that brings together the operational, commercial, engineering, legal, and regulatory expertise in nuclear transport and logistics operations.

It will operate DRS and PNTL, which will continue to deliver rail and shipping activities for customers, building on decades of experience of providing safe, secure and reliable transport solutions.

NTS’s main objective will be to support the NDA mission through a range of activities including transporting spent AGR fuel from UK power stations to Sellafield, moving irradiated fuels from Dounreay, returning reprocessing products to customers overseas, and packaging and licensing support to the NDA group.

NTS will also use its world-leading expertise to provide commercial activities in the UK and overseas and add additional value by providing transport services for customers outside of the nuclear sector.

Waste division

In November 2020, the NDA launched its integrated waste management programme to manage the UK’s radioactive waste and to deliver its integrated waste management strategy. The programme focuses on how waste is treated, packaged, stored, transported and disposed of.

Moving forward with its plans, the NDA is announcing a single waste division which will bring together groupwide waste management expertise allowing for greater capability, simplifying operations and delivering greater value for the taxpayer.

Corhyn Parr, the NDA’s Director of Integrated Waste, will lead the work to develop the new division and will work closely with the CEOs of LLWR and RWM to determine how it should be shaped.

The programme of work to bring LLWR Ltd under NDA ownership is unaffected, and we will continue to work closely with the PBO and LLWR to ensure a smooth share transfer process as planned on 12 July. The day to day operations of RWM and LLWR are unaffected by this announcement and it is important that we all continue to focus on the safe delivery of our mission.

David Peattie

CEO, NDA

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