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Concerns over scrutiny of nuclear factory plans

Questions have been raised over whether West Berkshire Council has the
expertise and resources needed to scrutinise plans for a major
redevelopment at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in Aldermaston. The
nuclear weapons site is expected to submit plans for its Future Materials
Campus, part of a wider £15bn investment in the UK’s warhead programme.


During a meeting on Thursday, Conservative councillor Dominic Boeck said
residents had concerns about the impact of the project and asked how the
authority would independently assess an application of such scale and
complexity. Liberal Democrat deputy council leader Denise Gaines said any
proposal would be examined by qualified professionals and specialist
consultants to ensure all technical and environmental issues were properly
considered.

BBC 19th Oct 2026, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm369jg6d2wno

October 25, 2026 Posted by | safety, UK | Leave a comment

Under pressure from AI data companies, USA government facilitating the upgrade of tired old nuclear reactors

The Nuclear Power Shortcut That Could Add Gigawatts to the U.S. Grid

the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) announced it would conditionally loan the energy company Vistra $4.2 billion to uprate three nuclear plants in Pennsylvania and Ohio, adding another 430 MW of capacity. Amazon also completed an agreement to uprate Constellation’s Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Maryland, while Google announced plans to increase power production from four reactors in Georgia.

By Felicity Bradstock – Oct 18, 2026, https://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Nuclear-Power/The-Nuclear-Power-Shortcut-That-Could-Add-Gigawatts-to-the-US-Grid.html

  • U.S. nuclear operators could add gigawatts of power by upgrading existing reactors instead of building new facilities.
  • Google, Amazon, and other tech companies are supporting major nuclear uprate projects to meet growing AI electricity demand.
  • Nuclear uprates could deliver additional reliable electricity years before new reactors can be constructed.

The process of increasing the maximum power level at which a commercial nuclear power plant may operate is called a power uprate. Several nuclear plants are now considering applying for permission to uprate operations to produce more power in the mid-term to bridge the gap while more nuclear capacity is being developed.

The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulates the maximum power level at which a commercial nuclear power plant may operate. The permitted power level is stated in the license and technical specifications for the plant and cannot be altered unless approved by the NRC. U.S. nuclear plants can request permission from the NRC to increase their power output, or “uprate”.

The NRC will determine whether to grant a plant uprate permission depending on whether it can be achieved safely. To increase power output, nuclear operators must modify the nuclear reactor’s instrumentation, controls, and power-generation systems. Over the past two decades, the NRC has approved uprates that have provided an extra 6 GW of power to the U.S. electricity grid, which is equivalent to six large reactors. The agency is considering uprate requests from various operators that massively boost the country’s nuclear power capacity.

To safely uprate operations, plant operators must upgrade components such as controls, turbines, and pumps within their nuclear facilities to generate more electricity. While these upgrades can cost billions of dollars to implement, they can allow operators to produce more power much more quickly than it takes to build a new facility. Many upgrades can be completed in five years or less. Analysts estimated that increasing electricity output from existing nuclear plants could add a massive 6-8 GW of clean power to the grid.

In October, the largest nuclear power plant operator in the United States, Constellation Energy, announced plans to invest over $4.3 billion to refurbish 11 reactors at six plants in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, enabling them to produce more power. The investment is expected to help Constellation add 890 MW of power to the grid, enough to supply 700,000 homes. Google has agreed to buy electricity from those plants at an undisclosed price.

This is just one of several projects that are expected to support the massive increase in U.S. power demand driven by the rapid rollout of new artificial intelligence (AI) data centres. Also this month, the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) announced it would conditionally loan the energy company Vistra $4.2 billion to uprate three nuclear plants in Pennsylvania and Ohio, adding another 430 MW of capacity. Amazon also completed an agreement to uprate Constellation’s Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Maryland, while Google announced plans to increase power production from four reactors in Georgia.

The Trump administration, which has announced plans to quadruple the U.S. nuclear power capacity by 2050, is highly supportive of these new projects. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement, “By getting more power out of the nuclear plants we already have, we can deliver more affordable, reliable, around-the-clock energy.”

Several nuclear plant operators have struggled to secure the funds to upgrade their plants as U.S. power demand plateaued in the 2000s and public perception of nuclear power was poor. However, the rising demand for power driven by data centres and the improved public perception of nuclear power has encouraged tech companies to invest heavily in a wide range of energy projects, from nuclear power to gas plants and renewable sources. Several tech companies are now willing to pump vast amounts of capital into uprating projects to rapidly increase their access to the clean power needed to run massive data centres.

The NRC expects a total of 31 power uprate applications totalling 7.3 GW thermal and 2.4 GW electric between 2026 and 2032. The organisation is expected to approve several of these projects, as many of the operators requesting uprate permissions have decades of experience in nuclear power development in the United States, making them well-versed in managing safety concerns

Some operators are wary of conducting uprate work because the necessary upgrades would require them to stop producing power for several months. However, as tech companies demonstrate their willingness to invest heavily in nuclear energy projects, more companies may be convinced in the coming years.

Uprating operations is unlikely to detract from plans to develop new nuclear plants in the United States, given the projected rise in power demand over the coming decades. However, it could provide an alternative way to rapidly expand the country’s nuclear power capacity to fill the gap while new facilities are being designed, licensed, and constructed.

October 24, 2026 Posted by | safety, USA | Leave a comment

Deep concerns regarding the Rolls-Royce development at the Wylfa site



Open Letter to Miatta Fahnbulleh MP, Secretary of State for Energy Security
and Net Zero.

Dear Secretary of State, I am contacting you with a letter
written to the former holder of the post, Ed Milliband, expressing my deep
concerns regarding the Rolls-Royce development at the Wylfa site on Ynys
Mon.

Since writing to Ed Miliband, there have been developments that make
the prospects of a nuclear site on the island even more concerning:


1)Increasing threats of war mean that we will be targets for attack. Russia
and Iran have both threatened us, due to our interventions in Ukraine and
the use of British bases for the bombing of Iran. Whatever the rights and
wrongs of these interventions, it is clear that nuclear power stations are
now regular targets for attack. How are we to be protected? How are we to
get off the island in the event of an attack ( or nuclear accident)? There
are two bridges connecting us to the mainland, and even if there were
three, there would be no safe evacuation possible, without the danger of
accidents.

RAF Valley is also on the island, making us a further target.
The waste produced by the possible new nuclear reactors will also serve as
an ongoing target and risk, as it would remain onsite for at least 100
years, being too hot to remove. Our future generations will be responsible
for this; not a legacy we want to bequeath.

2) Increasing droughts and
wildfires have threatened the safety of nuclear plants all over the world,
including at Sizewell B this year. Should the electricity supply be cut to
a nuclear power station, if backup diesel power is then cut off or damaged,
through flooding, as in the case of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, then
there is also disaster, as the reactors cannot be cooled if there is no
electrical power to the station. So, for a nuclear station to be safe,
there needs to be adequate power in the first place. This can no longer be
relied on.

3) A December 2025 Harvard T.H Chan study found a statistical
link between those living close to nuclear power plants and higher cancer
rates in Massachusetts. The strongest link was seen within 20 to 30
kilometers of a nuclear station, and the risk increased as people got
older. There is also a risk to workers.

4) Whereas the Rolls-Royce site has
advertised that the electricity generated at Wylfa would go to homes, it is
now published that energy could go to AI centres being developed on the
island and nearby. How are we to know the end use of the electricity to be
generated by these nuclear reactors?

The World Nuclear Industry Status
Report ( WNISR) 2026 shows that between March 2025 and June 2026, both
solar and wind power have independently surpassed generating electricity
from nuclear reactors. I understand that you want to mitigate the effects
of climate change in the most efficient and safe ways possible. Nuclear
power is neither efficient or safe, particularly under conditions of
conflict, climate change, or indeed pandemic, where routine maintenance is
reduced, as happened during the Covid pandemic.

We implore you to
reconsider pouring more money into these nuclear reactors, yet to receive
the Generic Development Consent order, and instead concentrate our
resources to upgrading the grid, as you propose, and using our excellent
renewable energy sources.


People Against Wylfa B 19th Oct 2026,
https://www.stop-wylfa.org/

October 24, 2026 Posted by | safety, Small Modular Nuclear Reactors, UK | Leave a comment

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) welcomes G7 commitment to finance urgent repairs to Chornobyl’s protective shield

EBRD 15th Oct 2026,
https://www.ebrd.com/home/news-and-events/news/2026/ebrd-welcomes-g7-commitment-to-finance-urgent-repairs-to-chornob.html

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) welcomes the announcement by the Group of Seven (G7)that as leading industrialised nations, they will provide €260 million to fund urgent repairs to the New Safe Confinement at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, following the Russian drone strike that severely damaged the structure in February 2025.

The G7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States) expressed grave concern over the nuclear safety risks caused by the strike and pledged to mobilise funding to repair the New Safe Confinement. The structure contains the remains of Reactor Four and enables the safe dismantling of the original containment sarcophagus built after the 1986 accident.

The G7 also called on other international partners to join the effort and contribute to covering the remaining financing needs.

The announcement was made at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Autumn Meetings in Bangkok, following a meeting of the G7 finance ministers.

EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso said: “The EBRD is grateful to the G7 nations for their continued leadership and commitment to nuclear safety at Chornobyl. We join the G7 in calling on the wider international community to contribute to these efforts at a donor conference we are convening in Paris on 9 November 2026, co-chaired by France, Ukraine and the EBRD.”

Chornobyl’s New Safe Confinement was severely damaged by a Russian drone strike on 14 February 2025. The attack breached the structure’s inner and outer cladding, damaged critical systems and severely compromised its two primary functions: containing radioactive material and enabling the safe dismantling of the unstable original sarcophagus over Reactor Four.

Preliminary assessments indicate that at least €500 million will be needed to repair the damage and restore the structure to full functionality. The work needs to be completed by 2030 to limit the risk of corrosion of the steel arch and safeguard the structure’s 100-year design life.

The EBRD has led global efforts to stabilise and manage risks at Chornobyl since 1995, mobilising over €2.5 billion in international contributions – much of it from the G7 nations – and providing more than €700 million of its own resources to fund nuclear safety and decommissioning projects linked to the site.

The Bank is now leading international efforts to restore the full functionality of the New Safe Confinement and to mobilise the remaining funding needed for urgent repairs.

October 23, 2026 Posted by | business and costs, safety, Ukraine | Leave a comment

BRIEFING sent to all Cumberland Councillors Partners in Plan to Bring Failed Japanese Nuclear Reactors Sodium Coolant Process Plant to the Port of Workington

Conclusion The Sodium Coolant Process Plant at the Port of Workington would be an unprecedented and dangerous development, putting residents and primary school children in direct danger of both chemical and potential radiological hazards.

These hazards have not been explained to the public by the developers, which includes the regional planning authority, Cumberland Council, as an enthusiastic and facilitating ‘partner.

There has been a lack of clarity on issues

The following briefing has been shared with all Cumberland Councillors. Cumberland Council are partners in the scheme to bring sodium coolant from the Japanese failed Monju fast breeder nuclear reactors to Cumbria. The council has, we believe, not voted on this so the councillors are unwitting partners (much the same as Cumberland’s partnership with the nuclear dump plan).

For the original briefing with full links not reproduced here please contact: wastwater @ protonmail.com

BRIEFING: Failed Japanese Nuclear Reactors Sodium Coolant Process Plant for the Port of Workington?

by Radiation Free Lakeland 12th October, 2026

History

The Japanese Atomic Energy Agency is proposing to send sodium coolant from the failedMonju Fast Breeder Reactor to the Port of Workington in the UK for processing. A company in the UK has been set up to facilitate this.

ALKALI METAL PROCESSING LIMITED was incorporated at Companies House on 26 July, 2023 by Jacobs Clean Energy Ltd. (the name of this company was changed to Amentum Clean Energy Ltd. on 30 September, 2023) and Cavendish Nuclear.

According to the Director’s Report for the year ending 31 March, 2025: “The company’s sole purpose is to deliver a single contract to design, manufacture, construct, operate and decommission a Sodium Treatment Facility in the United Kingdom,” and,

“the entity, via Cavendish Nuclear Ltd., has beenawarded the next phase of work by the Japanese Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) to support the decommissioning of the Monju Prototype Fast Reactor (PFR), in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. The next phase of work covers the construction, commissioning, and securing of regulatory permissions for a new facility in the UK which will treat the sodium coolant removed from the Japanese reactor.”

Democratic Deficit:

Cumberland Council Responsible for Regulatory Oversight while also Development Partner.

There has been no standard planning assessment, or democratic scrutiny of technical details, or vote by Cumberland Council to justify Leader Mark Fryer’s enthusiastic promotion of the plan to import and process Japanese nuclear and chemical waste to the Port of Workington.

“This is fantastic news for the port as this new development, subject to the necessary approvals, will bring good quality jobs to Workington and support the wider supply chain and local economy. We’re extending a warm welcome to our new partners and look forward to working with all those involved over the coming weeks and months.“ Cllr Mark Fryer, Leader of Cumberland Council

Meanwhile the developers, “Cavendish Nuclear and Amentum are grateful to Cumberland Council and the Port’s management team for their support in enabling our design and construction programme to move to the next phase. We are fully committed to adding real social value to West Cumbia and this new venture will contribute to the regeneration of the Port of Workington and support the local economy. ” Cavendish Nuclear and Amentum

The Monju Fast Breeder Reactor, Fire and Accidents.

The Monju Fast Breeder Reactor, in Fukui Prefecture, Japan, has had a history of safety failures, cover ups, and operational redundancy.

In 1995, just months after achieving criticality (power transmission), 640 kg of liquid sodium leaked from a cooling system, causing a fire so hot that it buckled steel girders. The reactor was shut down for 15 years, after the operator was found to have covered up the scale of the damage.

Monju was restarted in May 2010 after a public battle in the courts and a number of safety repairs. However, it never connected to the electrical grid.

“Operations were again suspended in August 2010 after a fuel handling machine was accidentally dropped in the reactor during a refuelling outage. The device was retrieved almost one year later.”

Alkali Metal Processing’s client, the Japanese Atomic Energy Agency, was declared in 2015, “not fit to operate the Monju Fast Breeder Reactor” by the Japanese Nuclear Regulation Authority, following failure to carry out regular inspections on almost 10,000 out of 39,000 pieces of equipment at the Monju.” Source: Nucnet Independent Nuclear News.“

Violently Reactive,” requiring “Chemically Resistant Bunds”and “Nuclear Licenced Zones”

The “Nature of business” is listed on Companies House by Alkali Metal Processing Ltd (AMP Ltd) as “Treatment and disposal of non-hazardous waste.”

While legal definitions of ‘hazardous’ and ‘non-hazardous’ waste are necessarily complex and prevaricated, a reasonable definition of ‘non-hazardous’ would be ‘that which does not constitute a direct threat to human and environmental health’

.The description of Alkali Metal Processing Ltd as “Treatment and disposal of non-hazardous waste” is very much at odds with the Technical Brief published by Geomechanics which states:

● Sodium coolant’s violent reaction with water and air drives stringent segregation of drainage, fire and ventilation systems.

● Port (of Workington) siting demands blast- and fire-resisting structures around offloading and treatment units to contain exothermic events.

● Marine berths and transfer lines must be designed to prevent any seawater ingress intosodium-bearing systems.

● Civil design will likely require chemically resistant bunds and sumps to capture and neutralise any sodium leaks.

● Construction phasing must separate conventional port works from nuclear-licensed zones with controlled access and radiological monitoring.

● Emergency planning will centre on sodium fire scenarios, with specialised extinguishing media and exclusion distances.

● Similar import-treatment concepts could be replicated at other UK ports, but only where nuclear licensing constraints are manageable.

Source: Technical Brief from Geomechanics July 28th 2026

Experience of Dounreay’s Sodium Coolant.

The UK has experience of decommissioning the Dounreay fast breeder reactors. The two Dounreay reactors were fast breeder types, similar to the Japanese Monju reactor, and also used alkali metal coolant. The Dounreay Fast Reactor (DFR) shut down in 1977, while the larger Prototype Fast Reactor shut down in 1994.

Jason Casper, the reactors’ project director at Dounreay, has written at length about the hazardous nature of disposal of sodium coolant. In previous roles, he led clean-up projects in Idaho in the US, and has experience developing and implementing new technologies for sodium treatment, waste monitoring, and characterisation. He writes, at NS Energy that:

“Dealing with the nature of the coolant—commonly sodium or the sodium-potassium alloy NaK—is a major consideration and one of the most demanding and potentially hazardous aspects in decommissioning liquid metal-cooled reactors. Sodium metal reacts vigorously when exposed to water, releasing hydrogen and large quantities of heat, thereby providing not only an explosive gas mixture but also a source of ignition.

2Na + 2H2O = 2NaOH + H2+ Heat

NaK + 2H2O = NaOH + KOH + H2 + Heat

“The products of combustion are also toxic, and can cause severe caustic and thermal burns on coming into contact with skin, as well as being hazardous to ingest or inhale. Methods of destruction or disposal can range from a purpose-built sodium disposal plant (which essentially treats and neutralises the sodium to produce salt water) to high-temperature incineration, among others.

Around 130 m3 of hydrogen gas and 1100 MJ (30 kW) of heat is generated in the ten-hour process to destroy 160 kg of NaK”

Caustic soda production, however, is not a risk-free venture, especially near to residential areas.

A proposed housing development in Runcorn was cancelled over its proximity to a chemical plant producing caustic soda and chlorine.

The housing development masterplan for the Heath Park Development won two national awards, and the plans were approved by Halton Borough Council in May 2024. However, less than 1 km away, the Inovyn ChlorVinyls chemical plant posed a risk to the people who would live on the development that was too severe to ignore.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) lodged an objection to the plans based on modelling scenarios such as chemical leaks and spills, and the potential impact on local residents. Information published following a site visit in 2023 warned that an accident at the INEOS Inovyn site may produce a toxic gas cloud or smoke plume, or a “drifting cloud of flammable gas” that “may ignite”

.The HSE report added: “Fires may generate smoke clouds which may lead to breathing difficulties and deposition of soot on property and vegetation.“

The HSE warned that the consequences of a major accident would be a “potential for burns to body” that would be “possibly life threatening”, and that gas could be “potentially fatal if inhaled.“

Despite the accolades for much-needed housing in Runcorn, the development was cancelled by the Secretary of State, Steve Reed, following a public inquiry held in 2025.

Inovyn ChlorVinyls Ltd claims: “Our operations at the Runcorn site are of strategic national importance to the UK and focus mainly on the production of chlorine, caustic soda and chlorinated derivatives” INEOS

The Dounreay experience of dealing with sodium coolant did not include the production of “usable caustic soda.”

While the Waste Hierarchy encourages re-use and recycling of industrial waste, the production of caustic soda represents an additional risk to the local area on top of the already discussed risks of managing sodium coolant.

The inference is that the ‘production of caustic soda’ is a fig leaf attempt to justify bringing Japanese chemical/nuclear all the way across the sea, from the failed Monju reactor, to Cumbria.

Radioactive Elements: High Level Waste and Low Level Waste. Press reports play down the presence of radioactive elements in the sodium coolant earmarked for delivery to Workington from Japan. However a 2020 ‘White Paper:

Disposition Options for Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors’ from Idaho National Laboratory states:

“The sodium wastes from Sodium Fast Reactor operations will be in two forms, the bulk sodium from the primary and secondary coolant loops and the residual sodium on Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF), piping, and other such components. Sodium bearing wastes not considered SNF or High Level Waste will require disposition at Low Level Waste disposal sites. These wastes will also require chemical deactivation or physical removal prior to disposal. The bulk sodium coolant can often be decontaminated and reused.

The wastes from this decontamination will require storage until disposal either as High Level Waste or Low Level Waste.

The (EBR-II) bulk sodium measured a final concentration of cesium within the primary coolant of approximately 370 Bq/g of cesium before it was decommissioned (Newton et al. 2002). The contamination can be remediated with a suitable cesium trap system. The traps act as a filter for the sodium passing through it, trapping the cesium. Successive traps are installed until acceptable levels of cesium are achieved. The cesium traps will require shielding and storage and eventual disposition either as LLW or Greater Than Class C depending on the activity limits. The bulk sodium can then be drained and converted into anhydrous sodium hydroxide, which is a solid form that can be stored indrums.”

Close Proximity of Sodium Coolant Chemical/Nuclear Plant to Schools and Residential Areas.

The Port of Workington is surrounded by schools and residential areas. Northside Primary School for example, is less than 1 km from the proposed chemical/nuclear process plant

As described above, at Runcorn a housing development was turned down last year following a public inquiry as the residential area would have been just over 1 km away from the INEOS caustic soda and chlorine plant. The refusal, citing safety concerns, was without the additional concern of radioactivity.

As well as being close to schools and residential areas the proposed nuclear waste/chemical plant would be around 1km from “Siddick Ponds … a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Local Nature Reserve and one of Cumbria’s most important bird sites. ”

Questions remain

Democratic Deficit

The proposal to import Japanese sodium coolant from the failed Monju reactor is being presented to the public as a fait accompli. The regional regulatory planning authority, Cumberland Council is acting as a promotional and facilitating arm of the nuclear industry rather than as an independent local authority responsible for planning oversight. We urge both Parish and Cumberland councillors to question this “partnership” with the developers.

How can Cumberland be both “partner” and planning authority especially on such a controversial, dangerous and largely experimental development?

Questions both here and in Japan

The lack of detailed information from the developers and their partner Cumberland Council has led to questions being asked in Japan by civic society groups of the JAEA and the Office for Nuclear Regulation.

These questions include:

● Media reports and the website of the receiving company state that the receiving plant does not handle radioactive materials. How, then, will the primary system sodium be handled?

Cavendish/Amentum JV win Monju D&D contract:

“Alkali Metal Processing Ltd., a joint venture between Cavendish Nuclear and Amentum, will construct, commission, and secure regulatory permissions for a new facility in the U.K. to treat nonradiological sodium coolant removed from the reactor. The sodium coolant is to be converted into sodium hydroxide for general industrial reuse.”

Cavendish Nuclear and Amentum awarded next phase of contract to support Japan’s Monju reactor decommissioning:

“The material, which presents no radiological hazards, will be safely converted into sodium hydroxide for general industrial reuse.”

And in many ways, a more pressing question, is:

● Given the supposed radiation-free nature of the sodium coolant, why is it being transported allthe way to the UK for processing?

In the UK, Radiation Free Lakeland asked the Office of Nuclear Regulation to detail the volume of sodium being transported; its chemical content; and its radiological content.

In reply, the ONR explained: “we understand that the Port of Workington will handle secondary sodium coolant, which is not radioactive and therefore not in scope of ONR’s purposes.”

However, according to Geomechanics July 28th 2026 Technical Brief, which discusses these exact proposals for the Port of Workington: “Construction phasing must separate conventional port works from nuclear-licensed zones with controlled access and radiological monitoring.”

The only reason for a nuclear-licensed zone is the presence of radioactive materials.

Radiation Free Lakeland have asked the Japanese Atomic Energy Authority the following questions:

●“Why is the sodium coolant proposed to be shipped to the UK when the companies involved are already working with their client, JAEA in Japan at the Monju?

●We would like to know:

a) the quantity of sodium coolant proposed to be imported.

b) details of the chemical content of the sodium coolant proposed to be imported

c) details of the radiological content of the sodium coolant proposed to be imported.

Conclusion

The Sodium Coolant Process Plant at the Port of Workington would be an unprecedented and dangerous development, putting residents and primary school children in direct danger of both chemical and potential radiological hazards.

These hazards have not been explained to the public by the developers, which includes the regional planning authority, Cumberland Council, as an enthusiastic and facilitating ‘partner.

There has been a lack of clarity on issues such as:

● Whether or not the sodium coolant will have radiological content

● Why the development needs to be a nuclear-licensed zone if it does not (as claimed) have radiological content.

● Why the coolant needs to be processed in the UK when the companies involved are already working with JAEA in Japan.

● Why the processing must turn one difficult-to-handle product (sodium coolant) into another which is potentially harmful in the event of an accident (caustic soda), given its proximity to residential areas.

● How a caustic soda plant can be considered safe to develop within 1 km of primary schools and residential areas in Workington when previously such areas have been prevented from development due to the presence of such a plant.

There is also a large question around the democratic processes in local government. Cumberland Council is the planning authority yet, without considering the safety aspects, has gone ahead to welcome the development without scrutiny or due process.

Briefing prepared by Radiation Free Lakeland

October 21, 2026 Posted by | safety, UK | Leave a comment

Russia’s Rosatom says truce in place for Zaporizhzhia power supply repairs.

Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom said a truce agreement
was in place as of Thursday to allow repairs at a thermal power station
supplying power to the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant
in southeastern Ukraine. It said the agreement was mediated ⁠by the
International Atomic Energy Agency.

Reuters 15th Oct 2026, https://www.reuters.com/world/russias-rosatom-says-truce-place-zaporizhzhia-power-supply-repairs-2026-10-15/

October 21, 2026 Posted by | safety, Ukraine | Leave a comment

RAF reports mystery drones over Britain

Near misses occur days apart
during military exercises, with one object spotted at 17,000ft – 40 times
the legal height limit. Royal Air Force jets reported close encounters with
two unidentified drones in British skies this year, The Telegraph can
disclose. The near misses took place days apart during simulated air combat
training and an air-to-air refuelling exercise over the North Sea. One of
the mystery objects was spotted at an altitude of 17,000ft, more than 40
times the legal height limit for commercial drones. Incident logs seen by
The Telegraph show that the RAF reported the sightings to police and that
“multiple different external investigations” are ongoing. The incidents
occurred amid growing fears that hostile powers are using drones to spy on
the West.

Telegraph 16th Oct 2026,
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/10/16/raf-mystery-drones-britain/

October 20, 2026 Posted by | safety, UK | Leave a comment

Questions raised over new Faslane base ballistic shelters

PLANS to install ballistic security shelters at the UK’s nuclear submarine
base on the Clyde have sparked questions from anti-nuclear campaigners over
what threats military chiefs believe Faslane could face.

Construction firm
Henry Brothers has been appointed to deliver specialist ballistic security
shelters at HMNB Clyde as part of a £2.55 million package of infrastructure
works commissioned by Babcock International Group. The programme also
includes enhanced security fencing and refurbishment of an existing
pressure test building, with Babcock saying the investment will help ensure
facilities supporting the Royal Navy’s Vanguard and Astute-class submarine
fleets remain “resilient, secure and fit for the future”.

However, the
Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) said the plans raise
important questions about both the purpose of the shelters and the risks
associated with hosting the UK’s nuclear weapons system in Scotland.

The National 12th Oct 2026,
https://www.thenational.scot/news/26630106.questions-raised-new-faslane-base-ballistic-shelters/

October 18, 2026 Posted by | safety, UK | Leave a comment

Nuclear regulator says sector safe and secure but calls for stronger leadership


“Industrial safety shortfalls at Sellafield Ltd, continued enhanced regulatory attention for safety at Dounreay, EDF Hartlepool site’s move into significantly enhanced regulatory attention, and the need for periodic safety review improvements at Sizewell B all point to the need for stronger and more sustained delivery,” it said.

The report dedicated more than a page to EDF’s Hartlepool nuclear power plant which remains under significantly enhanced regulatory attention regarding safety.

13 Oct, 2026 By Tom Pashby, New Civil Engineer,

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has found that improvements in the nuclear sector’s leadership have “not yet been sufficiently embedded” and cyber security “maturity” is below expected levels, but provided reassurance that the sector remains “safe and secure”.

The comments were made in its Chief Nuclear Inspector’s annual report on Great Britain’s nuclear industry, published on 8 October.

In his foreword, ONR chief executive and chief nuclear inspector Mike Finnerty said: “The sector continued to operate safely and securely, but performance remained variable, reinforcing the importance of reflection and learning in sustaining high standards and responding effectively to current and future challenges.”


He added: “We have worked closely with the Nuclear Regulatory Review Taskforce and have begun implementing its recommendations through a significant programme of activity.”

The industry demonstrated “clear capacity to improve” its outcomes regarding nuclear site health and safety (NSHS), he said, but warned that “progress is not yet consistent”.

Finnerty also said: “Maturity, resilience, and delivery discipline still need to improve.

“This is particularly evident in overall cyber security maturity, NSHS performance, organisational capability, leadership and governance, and delivery in more complex or higher-risk environments.

“Considering global geopolitical uncertainty, I believe greater attention is needed to ensure physical security at nuclear sites is treated with comparable priority to nuclear safety.”

He later cautioned that “material variability between dutyholders and areas of regulatory focus continues to require targeted attention”, and said: “Confidence remained more limited where improvements in leadership, governance, organisational resilience and specialist capability have not yet been sufficiently embedded.”

Finnerty concluded: “[M]y overall judgement is one of safe and secure operation, targeted progress and continuing variability in the depth and consistency of improvement.”

The report said he had identified cyber security and NSHS as his chief nuclear inspector (CNI) themes for 2025/2026

“The cyber security thematic inspection programme showed improving baseline capability but also confirmed that overall maturity remains below the level expected, particularly in strategy, governance, risk management, reporting, resourcing, culture and leadership”, he said.

“In NSHS, accident and incident rates remain above the long-term average for the nuclear industry, indicating that sustained improvement has been limited.

“Construction-related risk and fire safety continue to require regulatory attention.

“Taken together, these areas show incremental progress, but greater depth and consistency are still required. Therefore, I will continue to expect dutyholders to demonstrate stronger ownership and sustained improvement in these areas.”

The report highlighted concerns about the safety of construction activities at nuclear sites.

“Industrial safety performance and incident reporting require more consistent control,” it said.

NSHS performance remains a concern. Particularly construction-related risk, fire safety and control of work, with accident and incident rates above the long-term average.

“Incident reporting quality, timeliness and consistency also remain variable, including late incident reporting and inconsistent reporting thresholds.”

It also singled out specific operators and sites as needing improvements.

“Industrial safety shortfalls at Sellafield Ltd, continued enhanced regulatory attention for safety at Dounreay, EDF Hartlepool site’s move into significantly enhanced regulatory attention, and the need for periodic safety review improvements at Sizewell B all point to the need for stronger and more sustained delivery,” it said.

The report dedicated more than a page to EDF’s Hartlepool nuclear power plant which remains under significantly enhanced regulatory attention regarding safety.

“Hartlepool started the reporting period in enhanced regulatory attention for safety. We agreed with the dutyholder the areas for improvement and oversaw the site’s development and implementation of an improvement plan,” it said.

“However, during the reporting period there was a consistent increase in the number of events on site. These events primarily related to site health and safety rather than nuclear safety, but in some cases workers were harmed, and in others there was a high or medium potential for harm.”

NCE previously reported that 36 site incidents had been reported by EDF to the ONR between 1 January 2025 and May 2026.

The ONR’s report added that the regulator continues to judge that “Hartlepool remains safe to operate”………………………………….https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/nuclear-regulator-says-sector-safe-and-secure-but-calls-for-stronger-leadership-13-10-2026

October 17, 2026 Posted by | safety, UK | Leave a comment

Britain funds critical repairs to Chornobyl nuclear power plant damaged by Russian drone attack

Gov.uk 15 October 2026

UK to provide £17m in funding towards repairs to the Chornobyl nuclear power plant damaged by Russian drone strike last year.

Britain is funding £17m in new support for repairs to the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, the Chancellor and Foreign Secretary have announced today.

The protective shelter of the plant was damaged by a Russian drone strike last year, and UK support will form part of an international programme coordinated by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, working alongside the Government of Ukraine and G7 donors.

The support will fund crucial repairs to restore the structure’s confinement and ventilation functions and protect its intended lifespan. Without repairs, corrosion risks undermining decades of international investment and creating longer-term environmental and safety risks……………. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/britain-funds-critical-repairs-to-chornobyl-nuclear-power-plant-damaged-by-russian-drone-attack

October 17, 2026 Posted by | safety, UK, Ukraine | Leave a comment

Officer numbers rise at Civil Nuclear Constabulary

AN ARMED police force guards some of the UK’s most sensitive sites, including Sellafield in Seascale, and data reveal that over the last six years its officer count has grown by more than 10 per cent.

Carlisle News & Star 10th Oct 2026,
https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/26620384.officer-numbers-rise-civil-nuclear-constabulary/

October 15, 2026 Posted by | safety, UK | Leave a comment

Chernobyl Drone Attacks Gamble With Safety of Millions, UNDP Warns

By Catherine Sadler
 Law News 28th Sept 2026

Chernobyl drone attacks are ‘really gambling with the safety of millions of people’, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) administrator Alexander De Croo warned on Thursday, following a visit to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station where he inspected damage firsthand. His warning comes after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) GOV/2025/11 report concluded that the New Safe Confinement (NSC) enclosing Unit 4 can no longer perform its primary safety function of containing radioactive material from the 1986 explosion.

‘Whether it was a deliberate attack or an accident, this is something which is unacceptable,’ De Croo said. ‘Making sure that drones are not flying above that site is one way of avoiding that things like this could happen.’ He called for urgent international action, stressing that Russia had not been acting in line with international humanitarian law and that ‘even in war, there are rules to be followed.’

The Escalating Pattern of Chernobyl Drone Attacks

The IAEA’s assessment, prepared following a comprehensive safety review requested by Ukraine’s State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate (SNRIU), found that a drone strike on 14 February 2025 struck the upper part of the NSC arch, causing fire and structural damage. According to the American Nuclear Society, the strike left a hole larger than 500 square feet in the outer cladding, with efforts continuing to extinguish isolated smouldering areas of the structure’s insulation material.

The pattern of incursions has continued into 2026. According to the IAEA’s GOV/2026/7 report, three drones were detected within five kilometres of the site on 20 January 2026, causing the loss of four off-site power lines for the day; two further drones were detected within five kilometres on 5 February; and eight drones were detected within the monitoring area across 13 and 14 February. On 7 June 2026, a Russian drone struck a building storing spent nuclear fuel near Chornobyl, according to NucNet. …………..

The IAEA has maintained a continuous support and assistance mission at the Chornobyl site since January 2023, deploying additional staff in 2025 to conduct its safety assessment of the damaged NSC, as confirmed in IAEA Director General Update 330. Temporary repairs to restore a degree of confinement function are under way in 2026, with support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), according to IAEA Director General Update 331. Full restoration remains contingent on the end of the conflict.

The Chernobyl site’s history makes the current position acutely serious. The 1986 disaster, classified as a level 7 nuclear event, occurred after a reactor went out of control during a poorly managed routine safety test, killing 31 people directly. The IAEA projected that radiation released could lead to around 4,000 cancer-related deaths among those within the affected radius, and between 1991 and 2005 documented at least 5,000 cases of thyroid cancer in children under 14 in Belarus and Ukraine, linked to severe radiation exposure………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

With the NSC unable to contain radioactive material and drone incursions continuing, the IAEA’s next reporting cycle and any Security Council response to De Croo’s intervention will indicate whether international pressure translates into enforceable restrictions on airspace above the site. https://www.lawnews.co.uk/legal-news/chernobyl-drone-attacks-gamble-with-safety-of-millions-undp-warns/

October 14, 2026 Posted by | safety, Ukraine | Leave a comment

British nuclear submarines to use hoses in ‘worst case scenario’ defence despite Russia threat

A Navy source has claimed that high-powered hoses mounted on docked HMS Vanguard submarines are being factored into the defence of the top-of-the-line £3 billion vessels

Liam Doyle, 09 Oct 2026,
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/british-nuclear-submarines-defence-37755122

Britain’s most advanced nuclear submarines only have hoses to protect them from drone incursions, it has been reported.

Vanguard class submarines, the pinnacle of the Navy’s underwater fleet, have “centre-fed reels”, a type of hose connected to a drum that can launch powerful streams of water through a trigger system. They are mainly used to tackle onboard fires, but it has now been claimed that they are also being deployed to fend off drones.

An insider has said submarine crews now “have to use what you’ve got”, while the Government insists its most vital military units are properly protected.

The reels are reportedly placed on deck as a precaution while submarines are tied up alongside the HMNB Clyde in Faslane, Helensburgh, Scotland, a source told the Sun. While there, they are swathed in several layers of defence, including the base’s specialist counter-drone capabilities, patrols, surveillance, monitoring and physical barriers.

But the source claimed the hoses are also meant to factor into the defence, stating: “In a worst case scenario, the plan is to grab the centre fed hose reel and use it to knock a drone off course or even knock it down.”

The hoses, according to official documents, are designed for use primarily to tackle different types of fires and can be found on several different vessel types. An MOD Defence Standard states they are placed on HM Ships, Submarines or Fire Schools “as a first appliance against Class A & B fires”.

Class A fires are caused by solid combustibles, while Class B fires are started by flammable liquids like petrol, diesel or paraffin.

The claims come as drones are increasingly fielded in military conflicts, having found routine use in Ukraine, where they are helping turn the tide of war against Russia, and in Iran. They have also strayed further into eastern Europe, with two ships hit by sea and air drones off the coast of Bulgaria earlier this week.

Officials launched a massive search and rescue operation for missing crewmembers following the incident in the Black Sea on October 6 in which the vessels sent distress signals at around 4am local time (2am BST).

One of the pair “disappeared” from the radar of border police at around 9am local time (7am BST). Rescue teams were able to retrieve 18 sailors on the second vessel, with two of them seriously injured. The remaining 16 crew are reportedly in “good condition”. The origin of the drones has not yet been established.

Bulgarian prime minister Rumen Radev said: “I can’t say yet which country the drones are from, but it’s clear – they’re either Russian or Ukrainian.”

The Royal Navy has also recently brushed with drones, with HMS Dragon having faced them down in the Mediterranean and Red Sea. The Type 45 destroyer spent seven months away protecting UK interests this year by shielding bases in Cyprus, providing maritime security and working with allies and partners across the Middle East.

It returned to Portsmouth today, with General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, the First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff hailing the deployment as showing “the Royal Navy at its best”. Responding to the hose claims, an MoD spokesperson said the Government is taking military security “extremely seriously”.

They said: “The first duty of Government is national security, and we take the security of our people, sites and local communities extremely seriously, in particular those housing nuclear capabilities.

“The protection of our bases is kept under constant review, with a multi-layered approach that includes physical barriers, patrols, surveillance, monitoring, and counter-drone capabilities. Through the Defence Investment Plan, we are investing an additional £470million over the next four years to strengthen the protection of UK military sites.”

October 14, 2026 Posted by | safety, UK, weapons and war | Leave a comment

New nuclear ‘would make Scotland a target for Putin’, says Scots Labour MP.

Brian Leishman said hosting small reactors north of the border “would
make communities a target”. Building new nuclear would “make Scotland a
target for Putin”, a Scottish Labour MP has said. Mr Leishman will say in
a Westminster Hall debate once the House of Commons returns from recess:
“Politicians from nearly every party say that the UK will likely be at
war with Russia by 2030.

“If the war hawks are correct, then why would it
make sense for various areas to become targets for Putin? “Nuclear power
plants or the other policy pushed by the nuclear energy lobby – hundreds
of small reactor sites in locations up and down the UK – would make
communities a target.” The UK government has said that Torness in East
Lothian, Hunterston in Ayrshire, and Dounreay in Caithness could host small
nuclear reactors. But the SNP has effectively banned it, saying it would
rather focus on renewables which is much cheaper to build.


 Scotsman 10th Oct 2026, https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/new-nuclear-would-make-scotland-a-target-for-putin-says-scots-labour-mp-9274732

October 11, 2026 Posted by | safety, UK | Leave a comment

How safe are Britain’s military bases from hostile states?

The UK’s most sensitive sites are increasingly vulnerable to rapidly evolving weapons and surveillance systems and in some cases only have police protection

Armed only with explosives and machineguns, it was the SAS who pioneered
hit-and-run raids on Axis airbases across the North African desert during
the Second World War. Striking planes while they were parked on poorly
guarded airstrips was a stroke of genius that forced the Nazis to overhaul
their defences as daring squads of British operatives destroyed hundreds of
German and Italian aircraft before they could take to the skies. Drones,
advanced missiles, “grey zone” operations and militant activism are now
prompting a similarly urgent transformation of how British bases are
protected. From the Cotswolds to the Middle East, our most sensitive sites
are increasingly vulnerable to the rapidly evolving weapons and
surveillance systems used by hostile states.

 Times 9th Oct 2026, https://www.thetimes.com/uk/defence/article/how-safe-britain-military-bases-hostile-states-ccj980mjk

October 11, 2026 Posted by | safety, UK | Leave a comment

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