The main activities required to dismantle submarines include:
- Initial Dismantling: All radioactive material on the submarine will be removed. This is mainly metalwork inside the reactor compartment that has become radioactive during use.
- Interim Storage: The radioactive waste that cannot be disposed of immediately will be placed into 'interim' storage, until a disposal solution is available sometime after 2040.
- Ship-recycling: Once the radioactive material has been removed, the submarine hull will be broken up and recycled in a similar way to Royal Navy surface ships. Any other hazardous waste will be disposed of through existing permitted disposal routes.
We need to dismantle the submarines because the storage capacity for decommissioned submarines will be reached by 2020 and the cost of maintaining these submarines in a safe condition is increasing as they age and increase in number. As a responsible nuclear operator, we believe that dealing with the legacy now rather than leaving future generations to do so, is the responsible course of action.
The MOD recognises that there is keen interest in the project from the public and local communities and that the eventual solution must inspire public confidence. For this reason we have committed to conducting a public consultation on three key decisions that need to be taken in order to progress the project:
- How the radioactive material is removed from the submarines;
- Where we carry out the removal of the radioactive material from the submarines; and
- Which type of site is used to store the radioactive waste that is awaiting disposal.
The Submarine Dismantling Consultation ran from 28 October 2011 to 17 February 2012 . For more information see the Public Consultation page in related links.
Page updated 12 October 2011