UK unveils plan to bury world's largest plutonium stockpile
The United Kingdom plans to bury radioactive waste from a former nuclear power plant in a designated nuclear burial site. The process will involve transforming plutonium into a form similar to ceramic or stone. Experts call it a "positive step."
We recently reported on Sweden's construction of a large nuclear repository for radioactive waste near its nuclear power plant. Now, the UK is taking a similar approach. The British government has decided to dispose of its stockpile of 154 tons of radioactive plutonium, currently stored in a secure facility in Sellafield, Cumbria. Like the Swedes, they plan to bury it deep underground. This is the largest amount of plutonium in the world, originating from nuclear fuel processing.
The collected plutonium was to be reused
Plutonium is produced from reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, which, as BBC describes, can be seen through thick, leaded glass with a yellowish glow, confirming its high radioactivity. For many years, the plutonium was stored in a form that allowed for its reprocessing into new nuclear fuel. However, the British government has now decided that this material will no longer be reused. Instead, it plans to secure it deep underground.
Previous governments maintained the plutonium to keep open the option of its reuse. However, storing this substance in its current form is costly and complex, as the radioactive material must be regularly repackaged due to the harmful effects of radiation on its containers. Additionally, its protection by armed guards incurs costs of up to 70 million pounds annually (over 87 million USD).
This is a step toward the final disposal of plutonium
The UK government has concluded that the safest and most economical solution is to "immobilize" the entire stockpile of plutonium. This entails constructing a facility in Sellafield where the plutonium will be transformed into a durable material with a structure resembling rocks, allowing for safe storage in deep geological deposits.
According to the BBC, UK's energy minister, Michael Shanks, stated that the goal is to secure this material in a form that minimizes long-term risk during storage and prepares it for final disposal.
Experts call it a "positive step"
Nuclear materials expert Dr. Lewis Blackburn from the University of Sheffield explained that the plutonium will be transformed into a ceramic material, which is solid and stable, although still radioactive, making it safe for storage.
Nuclear waste expert Prof. Claire Corkhill from the University of Bristol described the government’s decision as a "positive step." She told the BBC that this approach will eliminate the costs and risks associated with storing plutonium at Sellafield "by transforming it and locking it away into a solid, durable material that will last for millions of years in a geological disposal facility." She added, "These materials are based on those we find in nature - natural minerals, that we know have contained uranium for billions of years."
Currently, the government is in the early stages of a lengthy technical and political process to select a suitable site for building a deep geological facility designed to store the most dangerous radioactive wastes. This facility is expected to be ready no earlier than 2050.
