nuclear-news

Leaked document shows Britain’s nuclear fuel supply at risk after Brexit

UK missing deadlines for post-Brexit nuclear safeguards, leak shows
Failure to put safeguards in place could disrupt flow of materials needed to fabricate nuclear fuel after Brexit, Guardian,  Lisa O’Carroll, 17 May 18, 

Brexit deadlines have put the supply of nuclear raw material for power stations at risk, a leaked government document has suggested.

The document, obtained by Sky News, shows that the UK is already missing critical deadlines to put full safeguards in place to keep the flow of components and raw material needed to fabricate nuclear fuel after Brexit.

The UK does not produce uranium. It must have its own safety measures in place, including a governing body to regulate the safe transport of the raw material, once it leaves the European safeguarding body Euroatom after Brexit.

Five “high-level risks” in setting up this government body have been identified by the UK’s Office for Nuclear Regulation, according to an internal “risk register” paper obtained by Sky.

Work on a new IT system, which should have started by the end of March, is already behind and the deadline has already been “irretrievable lost”, the document says.

The other four areas categorised as “red” on a red, amber, green (RAG) project management ranking including recruitment, lack of training for inspectors and funding.

Failure to arrange the “comprehensive handover” of hardware from Euratom are also cited in the document.

May 18, 2018 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics international, UK