The sale is the first part of the wider break-up of BNFL revealed by the government earlier this year

British Nuclear Fuels has put its reactor sites management business up for sale.

It has appointed its financial advisor NM Rothschild to handle the sale of Reactor Sites Management Company which is responsible for the management of the 10 Magnox reactors sites in the UK.

Magnox Electrical Limited, which holds the licence for each of the sites will also be included in the sale.

Mike Parker, BNFL’s group chief executive, said: “BNFL will ensure that the sale will follow a fair and transparent process.

“During this process, our focus continues to be the safe, secure and cost-effective operation and clean-up of the UK’s civil nuclear sites. In doing so, our key objectives remain to ensure a good home for our people and the delivery of value to our shareholder.”

In October, trade and industry secretary Alistair Darling announced that it would break up British Nuclear Group rather than sell it as a single entity.