The Daily Telegraph: Britain to bury 140 tonnes of radioactive plutonium

The publication's article states that the burial will be the largest in the world.

Experts assumed that the plutonium could be processed into fuel and then reused in reactors. However, the country's authorities considered that this scenario would be too expensive. The leadership of the Labor Party called the project "too long, too complicated and too expensive."

In addition, the risks associated with the long-term storage of plutonium stockpiles at the Sellafield complex were taken into account. Some of its storage facilities are outdated and leak contaminated water into the soil every day. And the complex's management concealed for several years the fact that some of its computer systems had been hacked.

A UK nuclear industry source described the decision to bury the plutonium as "extremely stupid and short-sighted", noting that it was "a valuable national resource.

"From an energy point of view, this is pure vandalism," the publication's source emphasized.

According to the newspaper, before disposal, the radioactive element will be mixed with liquid glass, after which it will be packed in a steel shell. A special enterprise will be built to carry out these works.

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority said the plutonium "will be converted to a safer and more stable form" and placed in a repository.