Today, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has published its revised strategy for public consultation, setting out a clear roadmap for one of the UK’s most complex long-term environmental challenges.
The strategy outlines how the NDA group will continue to deliver its mission to safely decommission the UK’s legacy nuclear sites, a programme of work spanning several decades which will protect people and the environment for generations to come.
Since the last strategy was published in 2021, much has been achieved including completing reprocessing operations at Sellafield, shaping a new national radioactive waste policy, supporting the government to finalise and publish the plutonium disposition policy and establishing the NDA group model.
In its draft strategy, the NDA reaffirms its highest strategic priority of hazard reduction at Sellafield, which is focused on the safe retrieval of waste from the site’s legacy ponds and silos, the most complex challenges in the UK’s nuclear clean-up mission.
By 2050, the NDA group aims to have made significant progress across its mission, including delicensing most of the former-Magnox reactor sites, repackaging a proportion of the UK’s plutonium stockpile and initiating its conversion into a disposable form, establishing new waste storage centres, identifying a suitable site for a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF), and enabling land to be reused for future development opportunities.
NDA Group CEO David Peattie said:
This refreshed strategy sets a clear, ambitious, and credible path for the next phase of our important national mission.
Our strategic principles remain firm, we’ll always put the mission first, make decisions based on the best available waste treatment and disposal options, act proportionately and will make best use of our people and capabilities to maximise delivery.
We’re proud of the progress we’ve made over the past five years, and we remain committed to delivering a safer, cleaner future for generations to come.
This fifth strategy update is an evolution, building on the foundation of the 2021 strategy, maintaining focus on the four strategic themes that underpin the decommissioning mission:
- Site decommissioning and remediation – dismantling redundant facilities and preparing land for future beneficial use.
- Spent nuclear fuels – managing spent fuel from first generation Magnox reactors and advanced gas-cooled reactors in line with UK policy through consolidation at Sellafield, safe, secure interim storage and preparing for disposal via a Geological Disposal Facility.
- Nuclear materials – delivering long-term plans for materials such as plutonium and uranium, originating from fuel enrichment, fabrication and reprocessing.
- Integrated waste management – ensuring consistent, safe handling of radioactive waste across the estate, prioritising waste reduction, reuse, recycling before considering disposal.
Supporting the strategic themes are critical enablers, which establish the environment for successful mission delivery, for example research, development and innovation, people, transport and cyber security.
These have been reviewed and refined to better reflect what it takes to deliver the mission. Notably, sustainability is now embedded as a core principle running throughout, rather than a standalone critical enabler, reflecting its growing importance in shaping the strategy.
The draft strategy also marks a shift towards greater integration and collaboration across the NDA group to strengthen efforts to address the UK’s nuclear legacy. The new model enables closer strategic alignment and better sharing of knowledge and resources, which is delivering enhanced performance and increased value for money.
Beyond decommissioning, the strategy also highlights the broader role of the NDA group in the UK’s nuclear future as the sector’s enduring foundational organisation, sharing expertise, developing skills, shaping policy, and supporting clean energy and defence ambitions across Government and industry.
The public consultation is open for 12 weeks until 29 September 2025. Responses will be carefully considered in developing the final strategy which will be submitted for approval to UK and Scottish Government ahead of final publication in March 2026.
Have your say here: The NDA group Draft Strategy 2025 for public consultation.
