Here we go.
First stories emerging that - quelle horror - we'll have to dispose of, duh duh, duh - NUCLEAR WASTE! as part of AUKUS.
Spent fuel rods in 2050 I think?
I hope the ADF PR people are onto this straight away - clarifying what, when, where and how.
Otherwise we'll have every scare-mongering muppet wheeled out as the media will quickly wake up to this as a new angle.
There have been long discussions with the IAEA over how such a deal might be done under the terms of the NPT. The resolution was that Australia will not undertake any nuclear fuel fabrication or reprocessing, rather the reactors will be provided as sealed units an£ returned in the same state at the end of their operational life.
Which means that, if manufactured in the UK, the reactors will be returned to the UK for defuelling, storage and eventual dismantling - presumably by sending the boats to be moored alongside together with the 27 all ready awaiting disposal.
So, no, Australia won’t be involved in handing HEU fuel rods.
Guessing, I would think, to keep with the NPT, the terms of the contract will involved the reactor cores being leased to Australia for the life of the boat, rather than sold, and then returned.
https://www.navylookout.com/project-...nches-forward/
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/submarin...ntling-project
https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/pres...s-announcement
https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/f...inf2022-20.pdf
““it is proposed that Australia would be provided with complete, welded power units.”
