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<p>The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has published strategies for the management
of spent Magnox and Oxide fuel; it is from these spent fuels that plutonium is separated.
These strategies are aligned with UK Government policy and their implementation is
expected to see cessation of reprocessing in Magnox and THORP facilities during this
decade.</p><p> </p><p>With respect to Magnox fuel, the intent is to reprocess all
of it. Only a finite amount of Magnox fuel remains, which limits the amount of further
separated plutonium that could be produced from reprocessing. Reprocessing is the
only approved process for managing this metal fuel.</p><p> </p><p>With respect to
Oxide Fuel management, an NDA paper sets out the strategy which is to complete the
reprocessing contracts in THORP, as far as is reasonably practicable, and place the
remaining fuel and any future arisings into interim storage pending disposal. The
paper can be found at <a title="http://www.nda.gov.uk/documents/upload/Oxide-Fuels-Preferred-Options-June-2012.pdf"
href="http://www.nda.gov.uk/documents/upload/Oxide-Fuels-Preferred-Options-June-2012.pdf"
target="_blank">http://www.nda.gov.uk/documents/upload/Oxide-Fuels-Preferred-Options-June-2012.pdf</a></p><p>
</p><p>Both these strategies see the amount of plutonium separated in the future being
limited in line with national requirements.</p><p> </p>
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