Detailed guide: About National Geological Screening (NGS)
At Radioactive Waste Management (RWM) we are bringing together existing geological information across the whole of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This will give you a picture of what’s under your feet, which is relevant to the long-term safety of a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF).
The geological information will be made available for 13 British Geological Survey regions in an accessible format showing a high-level summary of each region’s potential to host a GDF. More detailed knowledge will be needed to identify locations that would definitely be suitable.
The thirteen geological regions
This study will provide useful information for our conversations with any local community that shows an interest in our GDF programme.
If you have any questions, please get in touch by emailing gdfenquiries@nda.gov.uk and one of our team will get back to you.
Detailed guide: How to contact Radioactive Waste Management (RWM)
Updated: Inserted new links to BEIS and Welsh Government consultations
General enquiries
Radioactive Waste Management (RWM) is a public organisation established by government and a
subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). We are responsible for planning and
delivering geological disposal in the UK.
If you are a business or member of the public looking for further information not available on our website, please email us at gdfenquiries@nda.gov.uk or phone:
GDF Enquiries: 0300 0660100
A member of our team will get back to you.
Media enquiries
For media enquiries, call our media and campaign team on:
RWM uses Flickr to share a selection of images from across the project. Our image gallery contains a selection of images that are available for press use only.
Before downloading any of the images, please ensure you have read and will comply with Copyright Terms and Conditions.
Images can be downloaded from the RWM Flickr site.
Latest news and updates
For the latest news and significant developments click on the links below.
Radioactive Waste Management (RWM) is responsible for planning and delivering geological disposal in the UK
Detailed guide: The UK’s nuclear history
Our nuclear legacy
The United Kingdom is a pioneer of nuclear technologies and opened the world’s first commercial nuclear power station in 1956, at Calder Hall near Sellafield in Cumbria. Nuclear power has delivered great benefits: it has supported national defence, generated electricity for more than 60 years and our country remains a world-leading nuclear enterprise.
Today the UK is faced with the challenge of cleaning up the legacy of its early nuclear operations – a large-scale programme undertaken by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). This includes delivering innovative solutions for managing radioactive waste that meet today’s safety standards and will protect us into the distant future.
Why we use nuclear energy today
UK Government policy is to have a wide mix of energy supplies, so we use nuclear alongside other energy sources, such as gas and solar. Today, nuclear energy generates around one fifth of the country’s electricity, and under current government proposals that include Hinkley Point C, some of our power will come from nuclear sources in the future.
There are important reasons why nuclear is part of the mix:
it’s a low carbon choice that supports the UK’s climate change goals: nuclear power stations generate electricity without emitting greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane
nuclear power plants produce electricity 24 hours a day, whatever the weather
nuclear power plants don’t require a daily supply of new fuel to operate, unlike gas, coal and biomass plants
Where else does radioactive waste come from?
Besides nuclear power generation, radioactive waste comes from:
Medical – in particular, radioactive materials are used to sterilise equipment, and help diagnose and treat medical illnesses.
Industry – for example, gamma rays are used to test the quality of welds or the thickness of products, such as paper.
Defence – includes the operation of active nuclear-powered submarines and the decommissioning of retired submarines.
Research and development – from nuclear fusion technology to developing new radiotherapy treatments to testing novel solid materials for encapsulating liquid radioactive wastes.
The radioactive waste resulting from power generation, medicine, defence and other industries needs to be managed carefully. Existing waste is currently stored above ground at more than 30 sites around the UK. These surface stores can be safe for many decades, but require continuous protection to keep them secure and in good condition, as the waste remains radioactive for hundreds of thousands of years.
Nuclear sites in the UK
There is international consensus that geological disposal is the safest and most secure way to manage higher activity waste for the long term, and that a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) will ensure that the responsibility of continually protecting this waste is not passed on to future generations.
Source and management of radioactive waste
Science file
For further information about radioactive waste, read our science file What is radioactive waste?
(PDF, 1.03MB, 4 pages)
Detailed guide: Radioactive Waste Management (RWM) – about us
Radioactive Waste Management (RWM) is a public organisation established by government and responsible for planning and delivering geological disposal in the UK.
We collaborate with scientists around the world on multi-million pound research programmes, sharing the latest scientific advances and best practice. We also work with the producers of radioactive waste to find ways to package it that are suitable for disposal in a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF).
Our vision is to create a safer future by managing radioactive waste effectively, to protect people and the environment.
30 years of scientific research and development
The RWM team includes scientists and engineers with over 30 years’ experience in carrying out research and development to support geological disposal, supported by community engagement specialists.
Our organisation is a subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), a public sector organisation tasked by the UK government with the safe and efficient clean-up of Britain’s civil nuclear legacy.
There is international consensus that the safest permanent solution to manage higher activity radioactive waste is geological disposal, which involves putting the waste in a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) beneath several hundred metres of solid rock.
This is already the chosen approach in countries including Canada, Finland, France, Sweden and Switzerland. Some of these countries are well on the way to developing their own GDFs.
A Geological Disposal Facility (GDF)
How does geological disposal work?
Geological disposal is possible thanks to world-class engineering, science and technology. This involves:
isolating the radioactive waste in sealed vaults and tunnels deep underground, between 200 m and 1000 m below the surface
containing the radioactivity while it decays naturally over time
preventing radioactivity from ever reaching the surface in levels that could cause harm
Solid radioactive waste is packaged in secure engineered containers, typically made of metal or concrete, and then placed in a stable rock formation hundreds of metres below the surface, with the containers surrounded by clay or cement. This is called the multi-barrier approach.
The multi-barrier concept
In addition, a GDF:
requires no ongoing maintenance
is less vulnerable than surface storage to human activities such as terrorism or war
is less vulnerable than surface storage to natural processes such as climate change
Watch our video that shows how a GDF will be implemented.
After the waste has been placed into a GDF, deep underground and away from people and the environment, it will eventually be permanently sealed to provide safety without the need for further action.
Alternatives to geological disposal have been carefully considered and we continue to keep options under review. At present, they are all either not technically achievable (for example: converting the waste to non-radioactive material), not environmentally safe (for example: disposal at sea or in ice sheets), or too dangerous to implement (for example: firing the waste into space on rockets).
Unsuitable waste disposal methods
Next steps
We are looking for a suitable site to implement geological disposal safely, with a willing community who will work in partnership with us, as part of an agreed vision for the future.
Planning for geological disposal will take between 15 to 20 years. Independent regulators will ensure that all processes have been followed to their satisfaction. Only then can construction start.
If you have any questions our scientists and engineers are on hand to answer any technical queries you may have. Please email us at gdfenquiries@nda.gov.uk
To understand in more detail what will go into a GDF, what it will look like and what the multi-barrier approach is, please read more in the downloadable science files below.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a
version of this document in a more accessible format, please email rwmfeedback@nda.gov.uk.
Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a
version of this document in a more accessible format, please email rwmfeedback@nda.gov.uk.
Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a
version of this document in a more accessible format, please email rwmfeedback@nda.gov.uk.
Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.
