2009 Report to Government on National Research and

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wastes, for nuclear materials management and for spent fuels management 3 . There is one <strong>to</strong>pic strategy for R&D, which is described as a “critical enabler” for the other <strong>to</strong>pics. CoRWM understands that R&D needs will be identified for radioactive waste management and for site res<strong>to</strong>ration <strong>to</strong>pics, while the R&D <strong>to</strong>pic strategy will be a set of high level principles. However, the current SMS documents (NDA, <strong>2009</strong>c) show little about how R&D will be treated and NDARB does not appear on the block diagram describing the SMS. 3.23 There is a Higher Activity Wastes Strategy (HAWS) Group, with representatives from the regula<strong>to</strong>rs, NDA, British Energy, MoD and SLCs, which oversees the development of the higher activity wastes <strong>to</strong>pic strategies and which reports in<strong>to</strong> the NDA SMS. There is also a UK Spent Fuels and Nuclear Materials Topic Overview Group, which includes representatives of <strong>Government</strong>, regula<strong>to</strong>rs and NDA, where R&D on the management of spent fuels, plu<strong>to</strong>nium and uranium can be discussed at a strategic level. There will be no geological disposal <strong>to</strong>pic strategy because the intention is that RWMD will become an SLC, with its own site strategy and TBuRD. Other Nuclear Industry Organisations 3.24 Civil nuclear industry organisations such as British Energy and Urenco UK Ltd. (which enriches uranium) also fund R&D but, unlike the NDA, do not have major R&D programmes on radioactive waste management. Their approach is <strong>to</strong> carry out R&D as and when it is required <strong>to</strong> solve particular waste management problems. Typically, these organisations will do R&D as an input <strong>to</strong> “optioneering studies” (i.e. studies <strong>to</strong> identify and evaluate options for managing a particular type of waste). Their studies increasingly involve identifying techniques used in other countries, with the aim of buying “off the shelf” solutions, rather than carrying out any in-house R&D. An example of this is the R&D that British Energy carried out when evaluating options for conditioning and packaging the spent water treatment ion exchange resins from the Sizewell B PWR. 3.25 The situation is similar for MoD sites that are nuclear licensed sites and are run by contrac<strong>to</strong>rs (e.g. Aldermas<strong>to</strong>n, Devonport, Rosyth). None of these sites, nor MoD itself, has major R&D programmes on radioactive waste management. They carry out or commission R&D as and when it is needed. There is increasing cooperation between defence and civil sites through groups such as the NWRF (para. 3.10). Role of the National Nuclear Labora<strong>to</strong>ry 3.26 The NNL was launched in 2008. It is based on Nexia Solutions, a former subsidiary of BNFL. In April <strong>2009</strong> it became a government-owned, contrac<strong>to</strong>r operated organisation (GOCO). The management and operations contrac<strong>to</strong>r is a consortium of Battelle, Serco and the University of Manchester. The role of the contrac<strong>to</strong>r is <strong>to</strong> provide strategic vision and management <strong>to</strong> NNL and <strong>to</strong> develop it as a stand-alone business. The contract is for an initial three-year period with options <strong>to</strong> extend by up <strong>to</strong> two years. 3 http://www.nda.gov.uk/strategy/overview.cfm CoRWM Document 2543, Oc<strong>to</strong>ber <strong>2009</strong> Page 32 of 151
3.27 The purpose of NNL can be summarised as being <strong>to</strong>: 4 • identify and preserve key nuclear scientific and technical skills and facilities • lead and integrate UK strategic technology programmes • provide independent technical advice <strong>to</strong> the UK <strong>Government</strong> and its agencies • operate world class facilities for research • assist in the development of the market for the provision of nuclear research. 3.28 The areas of business of NNL include nuclear science, waste management, plant process support, modelling, materials and corrosion, specialist analytical services and environmental management. It operates at six locations in the UK: Sellafield, Working<strong>to</strong>n, Pres<strong>to</strong>n, Risley, Harwell and S<strong>to</strong>nehouse. Its active facilities (Section 5) are owned by the NDA and leased by NNL, which operates them under the nuclear site licences of the relevant SLCs. They can be used for longterm, large-scale experiments with highly radioactive materials. 3.29 NNL has about 750 personnel, of whom about 400 are technical and a further 150 provide facilities support. Key personnel in the NNL structure are the seven Technical Authorities, each of which has overall responsibility for defining the technical strategy and maintaining quality within a defined technical area, and the eight Senior Research Fellows, who are NNL’s leading technical experts with a responsibility for engaging with universities and other stakeholders and for quality publications within their area of expertise. NNL plays a key role in the maintenance and development of R&D skills (Section 4). 3.30 NNL delivers R&D using these facilities but currently for a fairly narrow “cus<strong>to</strong>mer base”. 75% of its business is from the NDA and SLCs with a further 20% from British Energy and MoD. Its cus<strong>to</strong>mer base is expected <strong>to</strong> expand in the future. It receives no subsidy from <strong>Government</strong> but operates as a fully commercial organisation. If the NNL is <strong>to</strong> meet UK strategic needs for R&D then it will require cus<strong>to</strong>mers that recognise those needs and fund projects accordingly. Nuclear Safety Research and the Role of HSE 3.31 The management of the UK nuclear safety research programme was transferred from the Department for Trade and Industry <strong>to</strong> the Health and Safety Commission (now combined with HSE) in 1990. The <strong>Government</strong> set three primary objectives for the programme (HSE, <strong>2009</strong>a): • <strong>to</strong> ensure that adequate and balanced programmes of nuclear safety research continue <strong>to</strong> be carried out, based on a view of the issues likely <strong>to</strong> emerge in both the short and long term • <strong>to</strong> ensure that, as far as reasonably practicable, the potential contribution which such research can make <strong>to</strong> securing higher standards of nuclear safety is maximised 4 http://www.nnl.co.uk/ CoRWM Document 2543, Oc<strong>to</strong>ber <strong>2009</strong> Page 33 of 151
Page 1 and 2: Committee on Radioactive Waste Mana
Page 3 and 4: Finland ...........................
Page 5 and 6: Geosphere Characterisation ........
Page 7 and 8: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. CoRWM’s remi
Page 9 and 10: odies would need to</strong
Page 11 and 12: disseminate and assimilate its resu
Page 13 and 14: 1.3 CoRWM’s Work Programme for 20
Page 15 and 16: 1.11 The R&D requirements for the l
Page 17 and 18: 2. ESTABLISHING R&D REQUIREMENTS Wh
Page 19 and 20: adioactive waste management facilit
Page 21 and 22: should mitigate the risks of findin
Page 23 and 24: there is no unwarranted repetition
Page 25 and 26: safety case development, the overal
Page 27 and 28: Table 1. Approximate annual levels
Page 29 and 30: Figure 1. Structure of UK R&D provi
Page 31: NDA R&D for Geological Disposal 3.1
Page 35 and 36: identified the research required an
Page 37 and 38: submitted to RCEP
Page 39 and 40: Box 1. Research Council Funded Univ
Page 41 and 42: 3.62 BGS is conducting three projec
Page 43 and 44: 3.70 In the current FP7 programme (
Page 45 and 46: 3.77 RCEP noted that there was a la
Page 47 and 48: sectors: land disp
Page 49 and 50: eyond those that RWMD intends <stro
Page 51 and 52: Box 2. USDOE 2006 Workshop R&D Issu
Page 53 and 54: 3.111 Fundamental and applied resea
Page 55 and 56: France 3.122 There are six major gr
Page 57 and 58: and in concert with Forpro is desig
Page 59 and 60: • encourage the transfer and pres
Page 61 and 62: comparison to othe
Page 63 and 64: 4. R&D SKILLS TO SUPPORT THE MRWS P
Page 65 and 66: Figure 3. UK Nuclear Skills Map Sou
Page 67 and 68: ensure the availability of a skille
Page 69 and 70: which is longer than the competitio
Page 71 and 72: Box 4. Postgraduate University Prov
Page 73 and 74: 4.30 The NDA also operates a gradua
Page 75 and 76: for NDA to acquire
Page 77 and 78: Retention of Skills 4.48 It has bee
Page 79 and 80: 5. INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIRED FOR R&D
Page 81 and 82: purchase of equipment. In addition,
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5.23 The Pacific Northwest National
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5.35 The range of possible function
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5.40 Early in 2009
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6. SOME R&D ISSUES 6.1 R&D carried
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interactions, the impact of highly
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7. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
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7.11 CoRWM has found that responsib
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and Appendix A is only intended <st
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Current and Planned R&D for ILW A.5
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wasteform integrity at end of s<str
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Magnox Fuel A.20 Magnox fuel consis
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capability exists in the UK for doi
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purpose-built building. The former
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pending a decision on its long-term
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through all these. The nature of th
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Box 7. Radionuclide Speciation Many
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could mix with the bulk hydrogen ga
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than that for uranium-235. Likewise
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near-field of the part containing t
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• Long-term stability and perform
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few millimetres to
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environment, all with the character
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Number Title 2500 Interim S
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EPSRC, 2009. Grant
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Nuclear Decommissioning Authority,
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Skomurski FN, Ewing RC, Rohl AL, Ga
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Co-location Disposal of “high lev
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Geosphere Solid portion of the eart
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Packaging Placing waste int
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Stillage A metal frame used <strong
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BNGSL British Nuclear Group Sellafi
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FP Framework Programme (of the Euro
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MOX mixed oxide fuel (contains uran
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RS Royal Society RSC Royal Society
Page 151:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Leadership in the
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2009 Report to Government on National Research and

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