BNFL statement: in full
The position regarding the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing plant (Thorp) at Sellafield is that all existing reprocessing contracts will be honoured. The current order book extends to at least 2010.
The UK Government's position on the future of Thorp was set out in the July 2002 White Paper, 'Managing the Nuclear Legacy', proposing the establishment of a Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, which will take ownership of the Sellafield site in 2005.
As is made clear in the White Paper, any new commercial reprocessing contracts for Thorp will be subject to a process of Government sanction, involving a review against specific criteria which include the priority issue of cleaning up of the legacy of historic wastes and redundant facilities at Sellafield.
Any decision on new Thorp contracts would also be subject to a process of public consultation, involving all interested parties.
It is, therefore, not possible to be definitive about the date of closure of Thorp, as the future of the plant is subject to a number of factors.