Written Question·Department for Energy Security and Net Zero·UIN 88154

Plutonium

Tabled: 4 November 2025
Answered: 17 November 2025

Question

Helen Maguire

Liberal DemocratEpsom and Ewell

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what quantities of unprocessed plutonium remain within discharged irradiated spent nuclear fuel at (a) nuclear reactor sites and (b) Sellafield.

Answer

Michael Shanks
Plutonium is a by-product of nuclear fission, and it is present in small quantities in spent irradiated fuel. However, the quantities would vary based on the fuel and reactor type. The Office for Nuclear Regulation publishes annual figures on estimated am...

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