The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has announced it will support around 20 PhDs with £5 million over five years.
David Peattie, CEO of the body in charge of decommissioning the UK’s earliest nuclear sites, including Sellafield, announced the funding at its stakeholder summit this week.
Held in Manchester, it brought together over 170 delegates from national and local government, the nuclear sector and site communities.
Delegates were told that the authority had invested £60 million of socio-economic funding over five years in projects which enable permanent and sustainable change in site communities and £45 million annually in early careers, including apprenticeship, graduate and PhD programmes.
Mr Peattie said: “Our success hinges on maintaining a social licence to operate, which is built through productive relationships with our stakeholders, including our site communities.
“As we look to the future, our commitment to your communities remains strong. We’ll continue to foster strong partnerships and ensure that our operations contribute positively to the social and economic well-being of the regions we serve.”
The event was a mix of debate, discussion and networking.
Clive Maxwell CBE, Second Permanent Secretary at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, gave an oversight of the priorities of the new government and the critical role the NDA group and wider nuclear sector play in securing greater energy independence, achieving net zero targets and galvanising economic growth.
Talking about the development of a Geological Disposal Facility, he said: “GDF will ensure safe, cost-effective disposal of radioactive waste and bring economic benefits to host communities. It’s a multi-billion-pound investment expected to create over 4,000 jobs in 25 years and sustain 2,000 jobs annually for 175 years.”
Sir Alex Chisholm, EDF’s UK chair, spoke about the company’s role in helping Britain to achieve net zero and supporting the Government’s mission to make the nation a clean energy superpower.
He said: “There is plenty to do if we are to deliver energy security, meet the target for net zero, deliver growth and jobs, and realise the full potential of nuclear – people and partnerships will be at the heart of that.”
There were also plenary sessions debating a range of topics including developing partnerships, building community engagement, maximising value and accelerating delivery of the NDA group’s mission.
Delegates were also able to access an interactive exhibition area with live demonstrations of some of the cutting-edge technology and robotics developed by the NDA group and its partners being used to deliver the mission more efficiently and effectively, moving people further away from potential hazards.
