NSG Secures Position on Nuclear Waste Services ESAS Framework

NSG Environmental is pleased to announce its successful appointment to the Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) Expert Support and Alternative Solutions (ESAS) Framework.

Following the award earlier this year, they have now signed the contract and attended the kick-off meeting with NWS.

The ESAS Framework has been established to provide specialist expertise and innovative waste management solutions to the nuclear sector, supporting the safe and effective management of current, future and legacy radioactive waste.

Supporting the Full Waste Management Lifecycle

Their appointment to the ESAS Framework recognises their robust and practical radioactive waste characterisation capability, supporting the full waste management lifecycle across the UK nuclear sector. Their approach combines consultancy expertise with hands-on implementation, ensuring characterisation activities are technically rigorous, operationally effective and delivered sustainably.

A key element of their capability under the ESAS Framework is their integrated, waste-led approach to characterisation, combining decommissioning, engineering and waste management activities to ensure decisions are underpinned by high-quality data, regulatory compliance and strategies that optimise waste minimisation and treatment options.

Their capability is built on an integrated delivery model spanning the full nuclear lifecycle, from decommissioning planning and engineering design through to hands-on waste management, characterisation and operational delivery. Our teams combine consultancy, engineering and field-based health physics expertise within integrated delivery structures, ensuring that waste decisions are supported by robust data, practical implementation and sustainable delivery principles.

Proven Delivery Across UK Nuclear Sites

This approach is supported by extensive experience across UK nuclear licensed sites, where they have delivered both routine and complex waste characterisation activities as part of wider decommissioning and waste management programmes. Their capability includes disposability assessments, waste sentencing support and the embedding of lessons learned into delivery to ensure consistent, reliable and cost-effective outcomes.

In addition to operational delivery, they apply their research and development capability to support the development and validation of alternative waste management solutions, progressing concepts from desktop studies through to pilot-scale and site deployment. This combination of practical execution and innovation underpins their role within the ESAS Framework, particularly in addressing technically challenging and non-routine waste streams.

Technical Waste Characterisation Capability

They apply a pragmatic Data Quality Objectives (DQO) methodology to ensure appropriate and sufficient data is generated to support Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC), disposability assessments and regulatory requirements across all waste types, including higher activity and technically challenging wastes.
Their in-house operatives and health physics personnel deliver on-site waste characterisation activities, including sampling, measurement and validation of data, supported by engineering teams that design and deploy equipment and tooling to enable safe and efficient delivery in complex environments.
They develop and implement detailed Sampling and Analysis Plans (SAPs), incorporating appropriate characterisation methods, and use tools such as portable high-resolution gamma spectrometry to enable accurate, cost-effective waste assay and fingerprinting.

This practical capability is reinforced by extensive experience across UK nuclear licensed sites, where they have delivered characterisation solutions for a wide range of waste streams and radiological hazards. Lessons learned and best practice are embedded into delivery, ensuring consistent, reliable and sustainable outcomes.

Experience in Legacy Waste and Fingerprinting

NSG's track record includes delivery of characterisation and fingerprinting services for legacy waste containers at Dounreay, as well as acting as sole supplier for Nuclear Restoration Services’ Waste Stream Fingerprint Management Framework, providing desktop reviews, data gap analysis and interpretation of laboratory results.

In addition to their practical delivery capability, they also provide strategic advisory support across the waste lifecycle, including route development, optimisation and early-stage characterisation strategy development, as well as training and capability development for client teams.

Customers are increasingly seeking earlier engagement in the waste lifecycle, reflecting growing complexity in waste arisings and a need for integrated, technically assured and deliverable solutions.

Delivering Under the ESAS Framework

Under the ESAS Framework, they will deliver a full range of services spanning the radioactive waste management lifecycle, including hands-on waste characterisation and field services, technical advisory support, enabling activities, research and development, container and package quality assurance, and the development and delivery of alternative waste management solutions, including pilot studies.

NSG have also been awarded a bulk order (call-off) for waste characterisation services, reflecting the importance of their practical delivery capability within the framework and enabling responsive support to evolving site requirements.

The appointment recognises the depth and breadth of their capability across both practical waste characterisation delivery and strategic waste management expertise, supporting customers from initial waste definition through to compliant routing and disposal.

Commitment to Social Value and Sustainability

As part of their commitment under the framework, they have also agreed a series of social value and sustainability commitments aligned to NWS objectives, including supporting local communities, helping tackle inequality through skills and employment initiatives and minimising the carbon footprint associated with project delivery. These commitments will be embedded throughout their framework activities, ensuring they deliver positive environmental and social outcomes alongside technical excellence.

Commitment to Collaborative Working

With an estimated framework value of £14.5 million, ESAS is intended to address increasingly complex waste streams requiring innovative treatment or conditioning approaches, while supporting continued diversion of waste away from the Low Level Waste Repository (LLWR).

NSG look forward to working collaboratively with Nuclear Waste Services and fellow framework partners including AtkinsRéalis, Nuvia, Orano, Cyclife UK and Amentum to deliver practical, innovative and sustainable outcomes that support safe decommissioning, reduced environmental impact and effective radioactive waste management for NWS.

NSG Appointed to Nuclear Waste Services ESAS Framework