2022 Report details for project: Geological Disposal Facility Programme (GDF)
| Project name | Geological Disposal Facility Programme (GDF) - there are 11 reports for this project: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 |
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| Contracts | Contracts search (opens in new window) - under development |
| Organisation | BEIS (D1198) - see all reports for this organisation |
| Report year | 2022 (data is from September 2021) |
| Category | Infrastructure - see all reports for this category |
| Description: | The primary objective of the programme is to site and construct a permanent geological disposal facility (GDF) as the safe, secure and environmentally responsible solution to the long-term management of higher-activity radioactive waste in the UK, excluding Scotland. A GDF is the internationally agreed and only viable permanent answer to the UK's existing legacy of Highly radioactive waste. As a nationally significant infrastructure programme a GDF will also provide an opportunity to sustainably boost the economy of the host region and local community to transform itself for many generations. The programme also supports the delivery of the UK's nuclear new build programme as the Government needs to be satisfied that effective arrangements exist or will exist to manage and dispose of the wastes they will produce before development consents for new nuclear power stations are granted. |
| DCA (RAG) | Amber |
| DCA text: | Compared to financial year 20/21-Q4, the IPA's DCA rating at 21/22-Q4 increased from Green to Amber The SRO SQA has changed from green to amber due to ongoing funding constraints. The programme faces large uncertainties at this stage due to the site selection process; Until we confirm a willing community, a suitable site, and test the site characteristics, we cannot be confident of timescales and costs. -Uncertainty in finding a willing community continues to reduce as three Community Partnerships have now been formed and a working group progressing towards Community Partnership. There is a pipeline of further potential communities with good site prospects. -There has been considerable progress with enabling activities to support the current and next phases: business cases for major permissions work, and a property value protection scheme are in progress. Plans are underway to start seismic investigations of potential sites in Copeland. The transformation and capability build of the organisation continues with development to support seismic surveys and technical evaluation activities. Confidence in engaging volunteer communities has grown further with the formation of three community partnerships in West Cumbria and a fourth working group in East Lindsey. Active and focussed engagement continues with additional communities. The transformation of the GDF programme continues with ongoing capability development and recruitment to meet the changing nature of the programme preparing for the next significant phase - concept design and site suitability. The GDF is now part of the Major Capital Programmes Directorate of the newly formed NDA Nuclear Waste Services. It should be noted that the GDF programme spans a significant time period on a whole life basis and is still at a very early stage in the lifecycle, construction is due to start in the 2040s. The programme still faces exceptional uncertainty levels at this stage with success dependent on agreeing a site with a willing community and the associated complexity of geology. |
| Start date | 2008-06-30 |
| End date | 2040-12-31 |
| Schedule text | Compared to 2021-Q4, your project end-date remained scheduled to finish on 31 DEC 2040 This is primarily due to the following factors: Significant progress has been made during the financial year even with the ongoing constraints of CoVID and the associated impact for community engagement. However, many work-arounds have been effective in continuing engagement, noting that the communities set the pace for their own progress through the 'willing community' process. 3 community partnerships and now been formed and a fourth working group is preparing for Community Partnership formation and initial community investment grants have been approved. Work continues to progress on potential additional community working groups in particular for targeted community lead generation. The detailed preparations are underway for starting the first seismic surveys - Copeland summer 2022. The detailed planning and procurement processes are underway for the formal site evaluation of all current sites. The schedule remains on target for the first key decision point - site down selection in 25/26. |
| Baseline | £52.03m |
| Forecast | £43.17m |
| Variance | -17.00% |
| Variance text: | The budget variance exceeds 5%. The budget variance exceeds 5%. This is primarily due to the following factors resulting in a reduced spend in year: 1) Slower than anticipated progression of communities to form Working Groups and move to Community Partnerships. In addition, we have had fewer WGs and CPs being formed than assumed in the budget. Also, ongoing CoVID impacts with more virtual events scheduled over the year and the associated reduction in spend. 2) Budget constraints applied to the final quarter of the year have resulted in deferrals, including the next phase of the borehole sealing demonstration, and slow down in some of the technical support activities and associated reduction in spend. Decisions were taken to prioritise activities that support the critical and key paths to the first major decision point in 2025/26. Recruitment of resources required to deliver increased capability within the programme to support the next phases of work was paused. |
| Whole Life Cost | £20,300.00m |
| WLCost text: | Compared to2021-Q4, the projects Baseline Whole Life Cost increased from 12743.00 (£m) to 20300.00 (£m). This is primarily due to the following factors: The costs have been aligned with the HMG approved programme business case (Oct 2019). The revised Whole Life Cost (WLC) envelope includes a range of scenarios associated with the waste inventory and the significant levels of variability associated with the location and the possible geological complexities. Current estimates are between £10.2bn-£27.3bn cost to HMG (as stated in the Q3 report) to dispose of the legacy waste, rising to £20.3-£53.3bn (aligned to the 2019 approved FBC) for the whole inventory, including an allowance for risk and optimism bias. The non HMG costs will be covered mainly through the Funded Decommissioning Programme for new nuclear build projects. The WLC costs are spread over a period to c.2200. |
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| Sourcefile | IPA_2022.csv |
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Acknowledgement: GMPP data has been re-used under the Open Government Licence.