New Delhi: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) in UK awarded £30 million in contracts to support research projects that aim to develop safer, more sustainable, and cost-effective nuclear decommissioning techniques, a government press release stated.
Research will be carried out in three areas: supporting academic research to grow skills within the nuclear decommissioning sector; enabling decommissioning, waste management, and remediation; and spent fuels and nuclear material, the release added.
The contracts were awarded to a consortium that involves 60 organisations, including established nuclear companies, global cross-sector corporations, UK universities, national laboratories, and small and medium-sized enterprises. The previous Direct Research Portfolio (DRP), awarded in 2020, supported the development of new treatment technologies for uranic materials and a non-contact asbestos detection system.
Kate Canning, head of R&D at the NDA, expressed delight with the high quality of the submissions received. Canning emphasised that the diverse range of experience and knowledge expected from the involved organisations will contribute to innovative research supporting the delivery of the NDA mission.