AWE Burghfield and Aldermaston shortlisted as nuclear submarine waste dumps

In a statement today (February 13), the MOD shortlisted five possible sites to store waste from nuclear-powered submarines that have left naval service, as part of the MOD’s Submarine Dismantling Project (SDP).
These include: both AWE sites at Aldermaston and Burghfield, owned by the MOD and run by AWE Plc; Sellafield in West Cumbria, owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA); Chapelcross in Dumfriesshire, also owned by the NDA; and Capenhurst in Cheshire, which is run by Capenhurst Nuclear Services.
Minister for Defence, Equipment Support and Technology, Philip Dunne, said:
“This is another step towards a safe and sustainable solution for the disposal of radioactive waste from our submarine fleet. All of the potential sites have a proven track record in handling radioactive material in a safe and secure way. We are committed to an open and transparent process and over the next year we will be working closely with local communities near to the potential sites, as part of the consultation before a final decision is made.”
All five sites already hold radioactive materials and have been identified as possible locations to store reactor components from the disused submarines.
The MOD has 18 former Royal Naval nuclear submarines currently stored afloat in Devonport and Rosyth, but the submarines can only be completely dismantled once the nuclear reactor components, categorised as radioactive waste, have been safely removed.
Nine submarines currently still in-service will also be dismantled under the project, when they reach the end of their service lives.
The initial dismantling process will support up to 60 skilled jobs.
The chosen site will be used as a storage site for the reactor components until after 2040, when the UK’s Geological Disposal Facility is planned to come into operation.
AWE’s Burghfield and Aldermaston sites are where the UK’s nuclear deterrent, Trident ballistic missiles are manufactured and maintained.
No decisions will be made until a public consultation on the possible sites has taken place later this year.