UK to start scrapping 20 obsolete nuclear submarines as early as 2026

The UK currently has as many as 20 decommissioned nuclear submarines in ports, waiting to be scrapped.

Here's What We Know

Almost the entire fleet of decommissioned submarines is waiting for the technology to be developed for their disposal.

The situation with submarines has not fundamentally changed since 2021, when the issue of scrapping was first discussed. The technology that will allow boats to be recycled for scrap will only be ready in 2026. So even then, work will begin on the first decommissioned submarines.

According to Naval News, the British company Babcock has signed a contract with the Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE) to dispose of the SM Swiftsure nuclear submarine, which was decommissioned in the 1990s.

Under the terms of the contract, the submarine must be disposed of in such a way that 100% of the materials can be recycled and reused. It is promised that the process will not create problems with the removal of reactors and other radioactive elements.

SM Swiftsure will be a test project for the new disposal technology. If all goes well, this approach will be used to recycle another 19 decommissioned nuclear submarines of the Royal Navy.

To underline the significance of this project, Babcock held an official ceremony to launch the work, inviting 40 former SM Swiftsure crew members.

Let us explain why the recycling of obsolete submarines is important. The first reason is that boats become potentially dangerous objects. The second is that recycling old boats will free up resources to maintain the working fleet.

Source: Naval News