Radioactive Waste: Storage
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of long-term storage costs of nuclear waste; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of his Department's policies on those costs.
Answered by Michael Shanks
Nuclear power is central to our ambitions for clean energy and to meet our net zero commitments. It is therefore important that we have in place effective plans to manage the associated wastes that arise from nuclear operations. Approximately 94% of nuclear waste by volume is low in radioactivity and will be disposed of safely in existing facilities. For the remaining more hazardous radioactive waste, the UK Government’s policy is to implement geological disposal. A geological disposal facility is expected to be available for intermediate level waste in c.2050-2060 and c.2075 for high level waste and Spent Fuel. We require interim storage to manage this waste until disposal facilities are available - these interim stores vary depending on the nature of waste they are designed for.
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