• THE CHALLENGES AHEAD

    The RWMD’s work will not be completed quickly. The engineering programme itself is likely to last for decades, and the eventual solution will be designed to last for hundreds of thousands of years. And yet there is real urgency to our work.

    With the political will and technical expertise now in place, the UK today has a unique opportunity to create a lasting solution to the radioactive waste issue. It’s our job to make the most of that opportunity. We’ll be dealing with highly complex technical and social issues, and there will be no short cuts to success. That’s why we’re taking an ambitious approach to planning and progressing the programme, recognising the need to work closely with other interested parties.

     

    The main focus for the directorate in the immediate future will be to support Government during the site selection stages. We will work with a wide range of stakeholders to develop viable geological disposal facility designs, setting out safety cases, and in due course, applying for a nuclear site licence and seeking the necessary authorisations for radioactive waste disposal. Robust business and project schedules need to be created, and we’ll also play an important role in investigating potential sites for the repository. Beyond this, we will be responsible for the actual construction, commissioning, operation, monitoring and in due course, closure of the disposal facility.