AUKUS Submarine Nuclear Reactor Decommissioning and Disposal Infrastructure

planned

This project involves the decommissioning, dismantling, and disposal of nuclear reactors and spent fuel from AUKUS submarines in Australia. It addresses the technical and industrial challenges of handling sealed, highly enriched uranium (HEU) reactors, including the need for specialised heavy-lift infrastructure, radiological containment, and permanent high-security safeguards for waste disposal. The project contrasts the HEU sealed-reactor approach with the French low-enriched uranium (LEU) reactor decommissioning model, highlighting the long-term risks and infrastructure demands associated with the AUKUS reactors.