Nuclear site warns £2.8bn budget is 'not enough'

Sellafield said its £2.8bn budget for the next financial year will not be enough

Planned work to decommission the UK's largest nuclear site could have to be slowed down or paused due to insufficient funding, managers have warned.

Sellafield Ltd, which manages the site near Seascale in Cumbria, said its £2.8bn funding for the 2025-26 financial year would "not be enough" for the planned operations.

The GMB union urged Sellafield to be transparent about the impact of the budget restraints on workers.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said Sellafield's safety and security was their "top priority".

In October the spending watchdog, the National Audit Office, said the site was not "value for money" and it had spent £1.9bn more than it earned in 2023-2024.

It is understood that while the funding for the 2025-26 financial year is similar to the one for the 2024-25, it does not take into account inflation and rise in energy prices.

Employee fears

The funding is indicative and is expected to be confirmed soon, but Sellafield said the forecast budget would impact its supply chain.

A spokesman added: "Critical work will continue but some projects will need to be slowed down, paused, or stopped."

More than 10,000 people work at Sellafield, which is one of the major employers in the area.

Dan Gow, senior organiser at GMB, said: "GMB calls on Sellafield Ltd to be fully transparent about any cost-saving measures and to engage with us to ensure the workforce is protected."

He added workers should never have to fear that budget cuts would "put their safety at risk".

A Sellafield spokesman said the company was working with employees, trade unions and stakeholders to "manage any impact".

They added: "While this is a challenge, it also gives us opportunities to reset and do things differently."

A government spokesman said they would continue to work with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, of which Sellafield is a subsidiary, to "ensure that they are able to deliver their essential mission".