The next generation of experts needed to safely and securely manage the UK’s legacy nuclear materials will be trained by The Universities of Manchester and Sheffield.
Funded by the UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), the new £5 million Plutonium Ceramics Academic Hub at the Universities of Manchester and Sheffield (PUMaS), will bring together leading expertise to support the country’s nuclear decommissioning and waste management strategies and ensure a pipeline of talent equipped with the skills and knowledge to support the NDA’s mission for the safe and secure immobilisation of the UK’s inventory of civil separated plutonium.
Over the next five years, the Plutonium Ceramics Academic Hub will fund around 20 PhD students and two post-doctoral researchers, equipping them with the expertise to develop solutions and inform critical decisions on the safe management, storage and disposal of one of the world’s largest civilian inventories of separated plutonium.
For safe disposal, the waste must be converted into a solid ceramic material to make it stable before disposal in a deep geological facility. The new Plutonium Ceramics Academic Hub will investigate the full lifecycle of these ceramic materials to strengthen fundamental materials science understanding, such as the effect of manufacturing on the materials performance. This will determine which type of ceramic is most suitable for disposal, ensuring that future strategies are underpinned by world-leading research and technological advancements.
Dr Rob Harrison, Plutonium Ceramics Academic Hub Lead at The University of Manchester said:
“We are thrilled to be leading the £5M NDA Plutonium Ceramics Academic Hub at The University of Manchester in collaboration with the University of Sheffield. Our combined expertise and state-of-the-art facilities uniquely position us to successfully deliver the Hub and develop future subject matter experts in the field. This initiative will enable us to continue supporting the safe management of the UKs plutonium inventory, addressing a critical challenge in the NDAs mission.”
Dr Lewis Blackburn, Plutonium Ceramics Academic Hub Co-Lead at the University of Sheffield, added:
“We are very pleased to play a pivotal role in the delivery of this exciting initiative for NDA. The safe and timely disposition of separated plutonium is a key aspect of NDA strategy. The Universities of Manchester and Sheffield are well placed to support this mission, allowing us to contribute to a national resilience in nuclear materials skills and expertise.”
The University of Manchester and the University of Sheffield will each bring their unique expertise to the Hub. Manchester will explore the fabrication, characterisation and testing of potential of Disposal Mixed Oxide (DMOX), a modified version of MOX fuel used in nuclear reactors but adapted for safe disposal rather than energy production. Sheffield will focus on zirconolite, a mineral known for its ability to immobilise radioactive waste as well as performance of these zirconolite and DMOX materials under conditions found in a geological disposal facility.
With state-of-the-art facilities and world-leading expertise in nuclear science, advanced materials, waste management and decommissioning, Manchester is uniquely positioned to lead this initiative alongside Sheffield, which also brings strong capabilities in nuclear materials science.
The Plutonium Ceramics Academic Hub aligns with the goals of the Dalton Nuclear Institute, which aim to grow the scale and scope of the university’s world-class nuclear activities and foster interdisciplinary collaboration.
It also underpins the Henry Royce Institute’s Nuclear Materials Research Area, supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), which focuses on enhancing the UK’s strengths in nuclear energy and supporting net-zero ambitions through innovation in radioactive materials research. This includes investigating the plutonium lifecycle to inform future decisions on managing, safe storage, handling, processing and ultimate disposal of the material.
Prof Zara Hodgson, Director of Dalton Nuclear Institute at The University of Manchester said:
“Now is an incredibly important time for Great Britain to invest in plutonium research and also the development of future plutonium programme leaders, with expertise in the behaviour of nuclear materials and their manufacturing challenges. With the recent announcement by the Department of Energy Security & Net Zero to move forward with an immobilisation strategy for the UK-owned plutonium inventory, this Plutonium Ceramics Academic Hub has an exciting and vital role to play in underpinning future technology choices and creating the future experts to oversee the strategy’s safe and efficient implementation. The Dalton Nuclear Institute welcomes this new NDA sponsored Academic Hub.”
Dr Rick Short, NDA Research Manager, said:
“The NDA group has invested in PhD students and post-doctoral researchers supporting many aspects of our mission for several years.
“It’s a key element of our strategy to develop the capability we need for the future with the skills and expertise we know will be critical to drive forward our nationally important mission.
“The Hub will be central to developing the technical expertise and subject matter experts we need to deliver the plutonium disposition strategy and continue to meet our commitment to safely, securely, and sustainably deal with the UK’s civil nuclear legacy.”
