Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 23
23
Accepted
Deteriorating asset condition poses acute risks, impeding hazard reduction and future site operations.
Conclusion
We explored with the witnesses the implications of assets’ condition for Sellafield Ltd’s plans to address hazards and clean up the site by 2125 and identified four areas of particular concern. Firstly – poor availability of assets has impeded Sellafield Ltd’s ability to address site hazards (such as retrieving waste from the older ponds and silos).60 The poor condition of its existing laboratory also poses ‘acute risks’ to the site’s ability to operate.61 Secondly, the failure of the ‘Replacement Analytical Project’ was in part caused by an inadequate understanding of the condition of the building being refurbished which led to the project’s difficulty being underestimated.62 The long–term strategy for providing analysis capabilities to the site became incoherent as a result.63 Thirdly, the ‘strategic tolerances’ for completing a set of activities inform the planning assumptions made for other facilities.64 For example, Sellafield Ltd told us that its need for certain types of analysis would be much lower once all the ‘Highly Active Liquor’ on the site has been turned into a glass–like substance – and this was a factor in its recent decision–making.65 In recent years, maintenance issues have seriously affected how much ‘liquor’ can be processed in this way.66 57 Qq 41–42 58 C&AG’s report, para 3.15 59 Q 49 60 Qq 12, 55 61 Q 66; C&AG’s report, para 2.17 62 Letter from the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority relating to Public Accounts Committee’s visit to Sellafield, 17 March 2025, page 2 63 C&AG’s report, para 2.20 64 Q 48 65 Q 69; Letter from the Group Chief Executive Officer at the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority relating to the oral evidence session held on 20 March on Decommissioning Sellafield, 4 April 2025, page 3 66 Q 41; C&AG’s report, Figure 9 17 Fourthly, the deterioration in the overall condition of assets on the site was one of the factors that led Sellafield’s safety assurance team to conclude in 2022 that the site
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).