News story

Possible nuclear storage sites

Five nuclear facilities across the UK have been identified as potential sites to store waste from disused nuclear-powered submarines.

• From: Ministry of Defence, Defence Equipment and Support and Philip Dunne
• Published: 13 February 2014

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

HMS Victorious (library image)

The sites, which are either owned by MOD, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) or industry, have been named as part of MOD’s submarine dismantling project (SDP).

They already hold radioactive materials and have been identified as possible locations to store reactor components from the submarines that have left naval service.

MOD has 18 former Royal Navy nuclear submarines currently stored afloat in Devonport and Rosyth but the submarines can only be completely dismantled once the reactor components, which are categorised as radioactive waste, have been safely removed.

Nine submarines that are currently still in service will also be dismantled under the SDP when they reach the end of their service lives. The initial dismantling process will support up to 60 skilled jobs.

Following an assessment of all the UK’s nuclear sites, 5 sites were considered suitable and have been placed on a provisional shortlist. The potential sites are:

• the Atomic Weapons Establishment sites at Aldermaston and Burghfield in Berkshire which are owned by MOD and run by AWE plc
• Sellafield in west Cumbria, owned by the NDA
• Chapelcross in Dumfriesshire, owned by the NDA
• Capenhurst in Cheshire, which is run by Capenhurst Nuclear Services

A public consultation on the possible sites will take place in late 2014 and no decisions will be made until this process is completed.

The site selected will be used as an interim storage site for reactor components until after 2040, when the UK’s geological disposal facility is planned to come into operation.

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.

Published 13 February 2014