Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 22
22
Accepted
Increasing maintenance backlog and unknown asset conditions negatively impact Sellafield operations.
Conclusion
There is an increasing backlog of maintenance tasks at Sellafield which is affecting the condition of Sellafield’s assets. Sellafield Ltd could not carry out some tasks during the COVID–19 pandemic due to restrictions on working practices to prevent transmission of the virus. However even now, fewer maintenance tasks are being carried out than was the case before the pandemic: 12% fewer tasks were carried out in 2023–24 than in 2018–19.58 We also queried whether Sellafield Ltd knows enough about the condition of its assets – given that it does not have information about the condition of 9% of its most important assets. The Department accepted that this was a challenge – as, for example, older assets might not have been built with monitoring equipment installed.59
Government Response Summary
The government states the recommendation is implemented, explaining that Sellafield Ltd launched a targeted Asset Management Intervention in 2022 and its outcomes will be embedded into business-as-usual operations.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 4.2 The Sellafield site contains a complicated asset base of over 900 buildings plus associated plant and infrastructure. 4.3 Some assets are currently operational - many at or beyond their original intended lifespan. For some, the capability is not required in the long term and so it is more affordable to extend their lifespan by maintaining rather than renewing them, even though this increases maintenance demands. For others, long-term capability is required, and new assets are being built to replace the old ones. Some facilities are already redundant and awaiting demolition, but removal would not reduce the nuclear hazard, and so funding is not a priority. However, maintenance of assets is still needed to avoid conventional safety risks. As a result, the asset base is growing and safety, performance, and value for money across redundant and core operational assets requires careful balance. Solely increasing the productivity of maintenance teams misses the demands associated with the complex picture outlined above. There are greater benefits to be gained from focused improvement in other aspects of asset management. 4.4 In its letter to the Committee sent alongside this Treasury Minute response, Sellafield Ltd set out its asset management approach including a targeted Asset Management Intervention launched in 2022. Programme outcomes will be embedded into business-as-usual operations to ensure sustained improvements in asset care and improved alignment with the principles of ISO55000 (Asset Management). Progress is monitored by the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency. Sellafield Ltd benefits from independent internal peer review through the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO).