NDA announces multi-million PhD bursary commitment at summit

On the 17th and 18th of September the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) hosted its biannual in person stakeholder summit, bringing together over 170 delegates from national and local government, the nuclear sector and site communities.

The event, which took place in Manchester, was an opportunity to showcase the progress the NDA group is making in delivering its mission and highlight how its utilising strategic partnerships to deliver a wealth of benefits, for both site communities and the UK as a whole.

This includes the NDA group investing £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.

At the event NDA Group CEO, David Peattie, announced a further investment of up to £5 million over the next five years to support around 20 PhDs, contributing the NDA’s nationally important plutonium disposition strategy work.

In his keynote speech he also 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, an exciting mix of debate, discussion and networking, was the most inclusive yet, giving a platform to a wide range of perspectives from across the breadth of the nuclear decommissioning landscape and related fields.

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.

For example, in relation to 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 EDF’s role in helping Britain to achieve net zero and supporting the government’s mission to make the nation a clean energy superpower. He reflected:

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.

The NDA is tasked with decommissioning the UK’s earliest nuclear sites safely, sustainably and securely.

What makes the mission unique is the requirement to consider the impact of decommissioning on communities, the local economy, job creation, environmental protection and skills investment.

This annual event is an important fixture in the NDA group’s calendar of stakeholder engagement activity. Effective stakeholder engagement is crucial in maintaining trust, confidence, and support.

If you’re interested in understanding more about the work of the NDA you can sign up here for regular updates: Nuclear Decommissioning Authority – Subscribe to updates from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (govdelivery.com) or get involved in discussions in your community:
Site Stakeholder Groups – Home (nrsssg.com),
West Cumbria Stakeholder Group Website (wcssg.co.uk).