Nuclear waste: A UK perspective

Research on immobilisation and storage of nuclear waste is high on the UK’s agenda, driven by decommissioning of redundant reactors and nuclear research facilities and the need to minimise waste in future reactors. There are well understood encapsulation systems for most of our high and intermediate level wastes, but Pu and other ‘difficult’ isotopes, high volume graphite waste, and spent fuels still provide challenges. A holistic approach taking into account development of durable waste forms and both near and far field interaction phenomena will need to be adopted in future research. © 2006 Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and W. S. Maney & Son Ltd.