Deciding What To Do With The UKs 140 Tonnes Of Plutonium

3rd November 2023

An article at Nuclear Engineering International explains the problems surrounding the UK's plutonium issue.

A new report from the Dalton Nuclear Institute of the University of Manchester explores long-term solutions to the issue of the UK's roughly 140 tonnes of plutonium, produced from its civil reactor programme.

Deciding whether to deploy and use the plutonium or dispose of the material is a complex question. As they point out, there are ‘No easy choices’ - all the future paths must overcome significant barriers and have the potential to appear sub-optimal in hindsight. The position is further complicated by the fact that plutonium has been perceived as "the element that dare not speak its name".

According to the report’s authors, the overarching recommendation is that the UK government – which is ultimately responsible for management of the national plutonium stockpile – should as a first step acknowledge the challenge of such a multi-generational undertaking and put in place suitable arrangements to both examine the various considerations and develop provisions for the ultimate execution of the decision.

“There are significant major uncertainties which can only be managed through a long-term, programmatic approach with continuity, flexibility, adaptability, underpinned by Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) commensurate with the scale of the challenge,” the report states, adding that RD&I will not only decrease uncertainties and provide opportunities to accelerate the programme and reduce cost but will also be essential in developing the specialist community required for delivery. Such an assessment will require an in-depth evaluation of the economics, safety, security, and available industrial capacity for each part of any potential plutonium lifecycle. Additionally, regardless of which strategy is eventually implemented, and as with most challenges facing the nuclear sector, a supply of suitably qualified and experienced staff for the duration of the process is essential. Preparation of a long-term vision for managing the UK’s plutonium stock must start now.

Read the full article HERE