Nuclear Information Service
Posted: 27th February 2025
The UK Government’s Major Projects Report
Over recent years, NIS has uncovered the severe challenges facing the UK’s ability to deliver its nuclear weapons projects—not just on time and on budget—but at all. In January, the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) published its annual report, providing important information on these troubled projects. This article reviews the IPA’s report and data released by the Ministry of Defence in support of it.Read more.
UK to dispose of radioactive plutonium stockpile
The UK government announced in January that it will dispose of its 140 tonnes of radioactive plutonium, currently stored at a secure facility at Sellafield in Cumbria. This is enough material to build tens of thousands of nuclear weapons.The BBC reported that the government decided that the plutonium “will not be reused and instead says it wants to put the hazardous material ‘beyond reach’ and made ready for permanent disposal deep underground.”
ONR puts AWE on notice
An explosive component was “unintentionally damaged” by workers at the Atomic Weapons Establishment’s (AWE) Explosive Technology Centre, leading the UK’s nuclear regulator to issue an improvement notice.
The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) said in a statement that the damage occurred when workers were assembling “a unit for testing purposes” at AWE’s Aldermaston site in August 2024. An ONR spokesperson confirmed that the “unit” was not a nuclear weapon.
Rolls-Royce obtains biggest ever £9bn MOD nuclear deal
The Guardian reported in January that Rolls-Royce has “struck its biggest ever deal with the Ministry of Defence with a £9bn contract to make nuclear submarine reactors for the Royal Navy”. The contract, named Unity, will result in Rolls-Royce Submarines “designing, manufacturing and providing support services for nuclear reactors for the UK’s submarine fleet.”Rolls Royce is expanding its Raynesway site in Derby, where nuclear reactors are manufactured. The company announced in January that it has appointed “design partners” for this work and will shortly announce which firm will build the nuclear manufacturing facilities.
Independent UN Scientific Panel on Effects of Nuclear War
The UN Office for Disarmament Affairs has issued a public call for candidates to serve on an independent Scientific Panel on the Effects of Nuclear War. The Panel, created by a General Assembly resolution, will “examine the physical effects and societal consequences of a nuclear war on a local, regional and planetary scale”.
Last November, the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to launch the panel, the first such review since the 1980s. In total 144 states voted in favour of the resolution, including China and eight NATO allies. However, as the UNA-UK noted, “the UK, along with France and Russia, voted against it”.
AWE Future Materials Campus
The MOD has stated that its new Future Materials Campus (FMC) programme, located at AWE Aldermaston, will “renew existing facilities for the manufacture and storage of nuclear materials, improve science and analysis capabilities, and invest in renewed capability for material recovery.”
However, data on the full costs of the programme have not been released. The MOD justified this exemption on the grounds that the FMC is “bringing together a range of projects at differing levels of maturity, with elements of concept development still ongoing. As such the whole life cost modelling and subsequent analysis remains under development.” In addition, the government has made the FMC exemptfrom Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations “on the grounds of national security”.
Astute subs receive upgrade- likely to fix flaws
The MOD has announced plans to spend £12.5 million for four Fresh Water Cooling Heat Exchangers (HEATEX). The additional units, which cool the reactor and other systems, will be installed on Astute submarines. These further purchases suggest there is a flaw in the original design that needs to be fixed.
New Faslane briefing
NIS will be publishing a new briefing in March on the Royal Navy’s submarine base, focussing on its two main sites: Faslane and Coulport. It will include a history of the base, the key facilities within the two sites and future plans.
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