The science behind safely managing the UK’s plutonium

UKNNL is collaborating to understand more about what happens to the properties of plutonium materials during extended storage, but also to spot opportunities to harness its unique capabilities, including a breakthrough leading to new capabilities to fuel spacecraft power and heating units.

UKNNL's expertise and world-leading facilities play a vital role in supporting national policy development and maintaining critical nuclear expertise in plutonium management. It is a UK government priority to ensure the safe and secure management of these plutonium materials while working towards immobilisation and disposal of the inventory to put this material beyond reach.

Collaborative research and long-running partnerships with Sellafield Ltd and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) support nationally important missions across plutonium science. This facilitates access to the UK's civil plutonium inventory and provides UKNNL with both funding and technical co-operation, enabling research impossible elsewhere in the UK.