Smart inline analysis for future plutonium processing
The UK Government has identified plutonium immobilisation - converting plutonium-bearing material into stable waste forms such as pellets - as the preferred long-term approach for managing the UK’s civil plutonium inventory. To support this, the NDA and Sellafield Ltd is planning a future plutonium processing plant, expected to be required from the mid-2030s.
Sellafield Ltd is seeking innovative approaches to support automated inline or in-situ analysis and data management within a future plutonium processing plant. The aim is to carry out safety, quality and compliance checks directly within, or immediately alongside, key production stages for plutonium-bearing powders, pellets, cans and storage packages, enabling more frequent analysis, less manual intervention, stronger traceability and integrated digital quality assurance records. Register for the webinar to find out more.
Challenge Aims
The aim of this challenge is to identify technologies that can support the design of a future smart plutonium processing plant, where quality, safety and compliance checks can be carried out as close to the production process as possible.
The preferred outcome is to reduce reliance on sending samples to a laboratory for analysis by enabling inline or in-situ measurement at key stages of powder preparation, pellet production, canning and storage quality assurance. This would support a more automated approach, with fewer samples removed from the process and minimally direct human intervention.
A further aim is to enable data from different online analysis points to be brought together into a single digital quality assurance record for each package. This record should support traceability across the lifetime of the product, from production through storage and eventual disposal.
The challenge is not driven by an immediate need to replace current practice. Instead, it is linked to the opportunity to design future facilities and processes from the outset.
Find Out More
Please download the challenge statement for full details of this opportunity.
An interactive webinar will take place at 11am (GMT+1) on Tuesday 20th October 2026 where delegates will have the chance to hear directly from the challenge owners and ask any questions. Register here for free.
The deadline for applications for this challenge is 3pm (GMT) on Tuesday 3rd November 2026.
Assessment of Applications
Applications are reviewed against set criteria by a panel of challenge owners, prospective end‐users from our partner organisations, and Game Changers project staff. Brief summary feedback will be provided if your project is not awarded feasibility funding.
Application forms and posters will be assessed consistently and transparently using the following criteria:
- How well does the application align with the challenge aims?
- Is the proposed solution credible from the perspective of deployment?
- What potential does the proposed solution have to transform practice in your area?
- Do you feel the applicant is well placed to deliver a feasibility project?
- Would the solution proposed in the application benefit from feasibility funding?
- Does the application meet the scope of the challenge?
