Nuclear Industry Association members seek to expand into weapons sector

“defence is being seen as a major source of growth for the nuclear industry.”

“If the industry’s hopes for a new generation of civil reactors does not materialise, it could end up being the only source of growth.”

By Tom Pashby New Civil Engineer 22nd Nov 2024

The Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) is exploring ways to aid firms involved in civil nuclear projects to attain opportunities in nuclear weaponry, at the request of its members.

The NIA describes itself as the trade association “for the UK’s civil nuclear industry” and has more than 280 member companies from “across the supply chain to ensure more nuclear power is deployed”.

In a post from the trade association titled Update from NIA Chair Dr Tim Stone, CBE, Stone said he had commissioned an independent review of the scope, work and structure of the NIA “in the context of changes in the sector”.

He pointed in particular to “the advent of Great British Nuclear”, the new government and “the development of greater international and direct industrial interest in nuclear”.

In addition to the trends noted by Stone, construction of Hinkley Point C is well underway and Sizewell C is anticipating a final investment decision in 2025.

Meanwhile, the AUSUK submarine agreement has been , which will see the UK supporting with the building of new nuclear-powered submarines for Australia, has been launched.

On the UK’s domestic military site, the UK Government is committed to expanding its stockpile of nuclear warheads from 225 to 260 under the Integrated Review 2021.

………………………..One of the areas of interest which NIA members requested more focus on was nuclear weapons and military applications of nuclear power.

…………………. the NIA has run events in partnership with nuclear security technology firm Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) “to help engage the wider supply chain in opportunities there”.

Additionally, the NIA is co-ordinating activity with both the aerospace, defence and security trade associations ADS and Make UK Defence “to broaden understanding”, with there being “some exciting initiatives under development aimed at simplifying work across the sector”.

…..AWE was recently renationalised and is responsible for renewing and building new warheads for the UK’s Trident nuclear weapon programme.

…………………..Concerns raised about links between nuclear power and weapons industries

Nuclear industry and weapons experts said the letter is evidence of increasingly close collaboration between the civil nuclear power and nuclear weapons sectors.

University of Sussex professor of science and technology policy Andy Stirling said it “provides yet more evidence of pressures to hide military costs behind supposedly civil nuclear activities”.

“In a recent study funded by the Foreign Office, research showed that resulting added burdens falling on taxpayers and electricity consumers, amount at least to £5bn per year,” Stirling Added.

The study referred to was titled Irreversible nuclear disarmament – Illuminating the ‘UK Nuclear Complex’: Implications of hidden links between military and civil nuclear activities for replacing negative with positive irreversibilities around nuclear technologies and was published by the University of York in March 2024.

Strling went on: “By concealing in this way the full costs of the UK military nuclear industrial base, democracy is undermined, energy strategies misdirected and climate action made slower, more expensive and less effective.”

The Nuclear Information Service (NIS) investigates the UK’s nuclear weapons programme and publishes “accurate and reliable information to stimulate informed debate on disarmament”.

NIS director David Cullen said: “In recent years we’ve seen an increased frankness in defence policy documents about the linkages between the civil and military nuclear sectors, both in terms of skills and supply chains.

“With the [UK’s] new Astrea warhead programme gathering steam, and working beginning on AUKUS, it’s unsurprising that defence is being seen as a major source of growth for the nuclear industry.”

The A21/Mk7 or Astraea is the next generation of nuclear warheads being manufactured by AWE in the UK. It will be installed on top of Trident missiles, which are manufactured by Lockheed Martin and carried by Vanguard-class submarines, built by BAE Systems Marine.

Cullen continued: “If the industry’s hopes for a new generation of civil reactors does not materialise, it could end up being the only source of growth.” https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/nuclear-industry-association-members-seek-to-expand-into-weapons-sector-22-11-2024/