BNFL 'cannot set date for Thorp closure'

British Nuclear Fuels has released a statement insisting that it does not have the power to decide on the closure of the Thorp reprocessing plant at Sellafield.

Reports this morning said the company had decided to close the plant by the end of this decade and switch its focus from reprocessing to nuclear waste disposal.

BNFL's statement this lunchtime did not directly contradict the newspaper reports.

It said the Thorp plant would honour all its existing contracts, which extend to at least 2010, the date the reports said the plant would close.

It also said that ownership of Sellafield was due to be transferred to a nuclear decommissioning authority in 2005, which would suggest that there may be some truth in the reported switch from reprocessing to waste disposal.

However, the statement said any decision on Thorp would be subject to a process of public consultation involving all interested parties and could not be made by BNFL alone.