nuclear-news

Slow worms blamed for holding up Britain’s nuclear deterrent

Economists warn project is ‘above budget’ as removal of legless lizards delays expansion.

Jonathan Leake Energy Editor. Matt Oliver Industry Editor,  

Rachel Reeves ordered a review of the quango that handles Britain’s nuclear
waste amid concerns about project overruns and spiralling budgets. The
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is in charge of taking apart old
nuclear power stations and storing their radioactive waste securely –
including at Sellafield, the nuclear waste site in Cumbria.

In 2022, a
Treasury report estimated the NDA’s liabilities to be £237bn – a colossal
sum that raised questions over all nuclear spending. The following year,
the Treasury revised that figure down to £124bn simply by applying an
increased discount rate – an accounting device used to reduce the apparent
cost of future spending. Since then, however, costs have jumped again.

In 2024, the National Audit Office found that the budget for Sellafield’s
clean-up had leapt to £136bn.

The new review will be led by Tim Stone, the
chairman of Nuclear Risk Insurers and a former expert adviser to several
government departments. In documents published online, the Department for
Energy Security and Net Zero said the review presented an “opportunity to
address concerns” with the NDA’s performance. They added: “Given the
significance and complexity of the NDA’s task, it is essential to ensure
that the NDA operates effectively and efficiently, delivering value for
money to the taxpayer while also maintaining standards of openness and
transparency.”

Telegraph 27th Jan 2026, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/27/slow-worms-blamed-for-holding-up-britains-nuclear-deterrent/

January 31, 2026 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | UK, wastes