The cost of the UK’s strategic nuclear deterrent
Research Briefing, 12 August, 2025 Claire Mills, Esme Kirk-Wade, https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8166/
Since the acquisition of the UK’s first strategic nuclear deterrent in the 1950s, the cost of procuring and maintaining it, and which Government department should finance it, has always been a matter of debate.
Ascertaining precise costs for the nuclear deterrent can be difficult, as this information is not easily available from public sources. The nuclear deterrent is also supported by an overarching, and complex, network of programmes, infrastructure, equipment and people, which is referred to as the Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE). Separating out individual costs for the nuclear deterrent from within that structure is not straightforward, particularly since 2023 when the government started reporting all nuclear-related spending as a single line (the DNE) in its departmental estimates.
Synergies between the civilian nuclear sector and the defence nuclear enterprise complicate that picture further.
Cost of the existing ‘Trident’ nuclear deterrent
The UK’s nuclear deterrent is provided by four Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) which house the Trident II D5A missile and associated Mk4A/Holbrook warhead. The decision to procure Trident, as the nuclear deterrent is often referred, was taken in the early 1980s. Spending on the programme was largely complete by the time of the 1998 Strategic Defence Review. Total acquisition expenditure on the programme was £12.52 billion, which equates to approximately £23 billion in 2024/25 prices.
Prior to 2023, annual in-service costs, which also included the costs of the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) and the Nuclear Warhead Sustainment Capability Programme, basing, decommissioning and disposals, were estimated at 6% of the defence budget (£3 billion for 2022/23). In 2023, the decision was taken to bring all nuclear-related programmes and expenditure, including the in-service running costs of the deterrent, under one heading: the Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE), and to ringfence it within the MOD budget. The intention is to provide greater flexibility within the nuclear programme and to try and insulate the rest of the conventional equipment plan from any changes in nuclear spending. In doing so, direct comparisons of in-service costs for the nuclear deterrent over time are no longer possible.
Replacing the nuclear deterrent
A programme is currently underway to replace the Vanguard-class submarines from the early 2030s.
The estimated cost of the design and manufacture of a new Dreadnought- class of four SSBN is £31 billion, including inflation over the life of the programme. A £10 billion contingency has also been set aside, making an upper-end estimate of £41 billion in total acquisition costs for the Dreadnought class. In May 2025 the Ministry of Defence said that £3.37 billion of the contingency had been accessed as of March 2024. It also said that the remainder had been allocated to future years, suggesting that the full £10 billion in contingency funding will be spent.
In 2016 the goverment said that it expected in-service costs for the nuclear- deterrent, once the new Dreadnought SSBN entered service, to continue at approximately 6% of the defence budget. Following the decision in 2023 to amalgamate all nuclear-related spend under a single DNE budget, however, the government said that an “equivalent comparison” for future in-service costs was no longer possible.
A programme to replace the UK’s nuclear warhead was also confirmed in February 2020. In the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, the government announced £15 billion for the programme within the current Parliament (to 2029).
Wider costs
The decision to amalgamate nuclear spending under one budget heading: the Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE), reflects the increasing interdependence between the nuclear deterrent and the Royal Navy’s other conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarine programmes, including the new AUKUS-SSN being developed in conjunction with the US and Australia. This is particularly relevant to the costs associated with basing, infrastructure and nuclear propulsion.
There are various costs associated with replacing the nuclear deterrent that are not part of the capital costs of the Dreadnought programme or the sovereign warhead programme, but fall within wider spending on the defence nuclear enterprise. Those costs include the UK’s participation in the US-led Trident Service-Life Extension programme, extension of the service-life of the current Vanguard-class SSBN, and various basing and nuclear infrastructure projects.
Spending on nuclear programmes across of the whole Defence Equipment Plan to 2033 is currently forecast at £128 billion. That represents a £10 billion increase on the original forecasts in the 2023-2033 equipment plan.
Who will pay for it?
In line with convention, the Dreadnought programme will be funded from the Ministry of Defence’s departmental budget.
There has been a longstanding debate over budgetary responsibility for the nuclear deterrent, with frequent calls made for the capital costs of the replacement programme to be removed from the MOD budget.
Calls for Transparency Over Serious Nuclear Incident at Faslane
By Chris Martin, 14 Aug 2025, https://argyllbute24.co.uk/calls-for-transparency-over-serious-nuclear-incident-at-faslane/
THE Ministry of Defence (MoD) is facing calls to disclose details of a serious nuclear incident at HMNB Clyde, Faslane, between 1 January and 22 April this year.
Classified as Category A – the MoD’s most serious level – the event reportedly posed no risk to the public or environment.
Faslane, on Gare Loch in Argyll and Bute, houses the UK’s nuclear submarines, including Vanguard-class vessels armed with Trident missiles.
In a parliamentary response to SNP MP Dave Doogan, defence minister Maria Eagle confirmed multiple incidents at Faslane and nearby RNAD Coulport, but refused to detail Category A or B events, citing national security concerns.
Renewed alarm follows a Guardian/Ferret investigation revealing radioactive water leaked into Loch Long from Coulport in 2019 due to faulty pipes, with a six-year secrecy battle over the case. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency deemed the discharges “of no regulatory concern”.
SNP deputy leader Keith Brown has demanded an “urgent explanation”, warning nuclear weapons are “poorly maintained” and threaten safety, communities, and the environment.
The MoD insists it handles radioactive substances “safely and securely” and that none of the incidents caused harm or radiological impact, reaffirming support for the UK’s nuclear deterrent.
More on this story in next week’s Observer
Coulport nuclear leaks spark alarm among local nuclear campaigners
CAMPAIGNERS have dismissed reassurances from military chiefs about
radioactive waste leaking into the Clyde. Pipes which the Ministry of
Defence (MoD) had allowed to fall into disrepair leaked nuclear waste into
Loch Long from the Trident base at Coulport.
The revelations came after an
investigation by The Ferret, which forced the release of information on the
leaks the Government had tried to keep hushed up. Marian Pallister, chair
of Pax Christi Scotland, said the revelations were unsurprising but
concerning for people living in the area. Pallister, a writer and
journalist who lives near Lochgilphead, told The National: “I’m afraid
that it wasn’t a surprise, we have known about this for a long time.”
She dismissed the MoD’s claims that there had been “no unsafe releases
of radioactive material into the environment”, adding: “They would say
that, wouldn’t they? “They are obviously going to lessen their
involvement but however big or small the leaks might be, they are leaks
into waters that are a part of our lives, part of our heritage.
The National 12th Aug 2025, https://www.thenational.scot/news/25384467.coulport-nuclear-leaks-spark-alarm-among-local-nuclear-campaigners/
Scottish independence can rid us of nuclear abomination.
Ross Greer: NUCLEAR weapons aren’t just a deadly money pit, they also
make for extremely unsafe neighbours. This was proven once again last
weekend with the Ferret, The National and others exposing the scale of the
threat posed to those of my constituents who have the bases at Faslane and
Coulport on their doorsteps.
The news radioactive water leaked into
beautiful Loch Long should concern everyone, though for those of us
familiar with the safety record at Coulport, it was no surprise. Far from
an isolated event, we now know that Faslane also saw over 100 reported
safety incidents over the last 12 months, including a Category A event
earlier this year, the most serious category and one that the Royal Navy
says carries an “actual or high potential for radioactive release to the
environment”.
The National 15th Aug 2025, https://www.thenational.scot/politics/25391552.ross-greer-scottish-independence-can-rid-us-nuclear-abomination/
TASC’s new legal challenge against Sizewell C’s secret flood defences
by Together Against Sizewell C (TASC)
TASC’s new Judicial Review claim calling for Sizewell C’s Development
Consent Order (DCO) to be revoked or varied has been granted a permission
hearing in the High Court.
At a date to be confirmed, a judge will hear why
TASC consider it is unlawful to delay, for decades, assessment and public
scrutiny of two huge additional flood barriers kept secret by EDF since
2015. If the court grants permission, then there would be a full JR hearing
in due course.
TASC writes: “Sizewell C’s attempt to avoid scrutiny of
these additional sea defences now means the project is proceeding without
its full environmental impact having been assessed, this being in
contravention of the UK Habitat Regulations. Sizewell C clearly believe
they can do as they see fit with our Heritage Coast, National Landscape and
designated wildlife sites irrespective of the damage they will cause –
this government, the largest shareholder in Sizewell C, must be challenged
on this.” If you would like to help with TASC’s fundraising, visit their
Crowd Justice page –
https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/sizewell-c-legal-challenge/
TASC 11th Aug 2025.
https://tasizewellc.org.uk/#
UK Labour eye ‘utterly reckless’ bonfire of nuclear energy regulations.
SAFETY concerns have been raised by the UK Government’s “utterly
reckless” approach to nuclear energy – as a new report recommends
ministers tear up “needless” regulations.
A taskforce commissioned by
the UK Government to look into nuclear regulations has recommended a
“radical reset” to speed up projects. Fears have been sparked after the
taskforce criticised the “unnecessarily slow, inefficient and costly”
system which governs new nuclear projects.
Its final report is expected to
focus on tackling what the UK Government described as a “culture of risk
aversion” in nuclear energy regulation. Earlier this year, the UK
Government announced it was scrapping a raft of nuclear regulations,
including changing the rules so that new projects could be built across the
entirety of England and Wales. New nuclear projects are de facto banned in
Scotland.
The National 11th Aug 2025, https://www.thenational.scot/news/25381085.labour-eye-utterly-reckless-bonfire-nuclear-energy-regulations/
Radioactive water ‘leaked into’ loch from Faslane nuclear base
The investigation uncovered SEPA files revealing that the Navy neglected proper maintenance.
Radioactive water ‘leaked into’ loch from Faslane nuclear base. The
investigation uncovered SEPA files revealing that the Navy neglected proper
maintenance. The Guardian, and The Ferret uncovered the release of
radioactive material into Loch Long, Argyll and Bute, following a six-year
fight to access the files, which involved Scotland’s Information
Commissioner.
Daily Record 10th Aug 2025, https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/radioactive-water-leaked-into-loch-35705786
Russian uranium being used at Sizewell B site in Suffolk.
“It is sheer hypocrisy for energy ministers to say we need new nuclear to stop being dependent on imported Russian energy, when our biggest and newest nuclear plant is fully fuelled by Putin’s uranium.”
East Anglian Daily Times, 11th August, By Will King, Mid Suffolk Reporter
Sizewell B has confirmed it has been using Russian uranium amid criticism of “sheer hypocrisy” while billions of taxpayers’ money is spent on the Ukraine war.
EDF Energy confirmed that Sizewell B’s nuclear fuel supply comes from Russia, but stated that the specific company providing it, MSZJSC, is not subject to sanctions.
Sizewell B provides 3% of the UK’s electricity, and every 18 months, a third of the fuel in the reactor is replaced using recycled enriched uranium using this source.
They said that its presence is due to “long-term commitments struck years before Russia invaded Ukraine”, after a contract was signed by British Energy in 2008.
However, Dr David Lowry, a nuclear policy consultant and former member of the independent advisory panel for the Chief UK Nuclear Safety and Security Inspector, says the fuel is initially mined by Rosatom, a Russian company sanctioned in Febuary 2023, but the company has continued using it.
He says the supply chain begins with the Russian state-owned company before it is sent by its subsidiary, TVEL, to another subsidiary, MSZJSC, before being sent to a factory in Lingen, Germany.
It is here that EDF Energy’s French supplier, Framatom, treats the material and sends the converted nuclear fuel rods to Sizewell B for use.
Dr Lowry said: “It is sheer hypocrisy for energy ministers to say we need new nuclear to stop being dependent on imported Russian energy, when our biggest and newest nuclear plant is fully fuelled by Putin’s uranium.
“We’re giving arms to Ukraine on one side and giving Russia money on the other side for fuel.
……… “Also, these companies are on the British Government’s sanctions list, so EDF Energy should not be doing business with them.”
This comes after this paper has seen documents from a site stakeholder meeting for Sizewell A and B on October 15 2024, attended by members of local parish and town councils, where Robert Gunn confirmed that Russian-supplied uranium was being used at the site.
EDF Energy says that Russian fuel will not be used at Sizewell C, but they have not yet been awarded the uranium contract to provide further details…………………………………………………. https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/25375159.russian-uranium-used-sizewell-b-site-suffolk/
Fire safety improvements required at Dungeness A
Sam Williams, 7 Aug 25, https://www.kentonline.co.uk/romney-marsh/news/fire-safety-improvements-required-at-power-station-328268/
Fire safety failings have been uncovered at a nuclear site in Kent, prompting a formal enforcement notice from the UK’s watchdog.
The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) issued the notice to Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) following inspections at its Dungeness A site on Romney Marsh.
Inspectors identified several safety shortfalls in the Fill House facility, a building used to retrieve and manage nuclear waste.
According to the ONR, issues were found with the site’s risk assessment, fire safety protocols, firefighting arrangements, and fire detection systems.
Tom Eagleton, ONR superintending inspector, said: “Fire safety is important in order to protect workers and the public, and we expect the necessary standards to be maintained at all times.
“This enforcement notice sets out the specific improvements that must be made by NRS to ensure adequate fire safety provisions are in place.
“We will continue to monitor NRS’ progress in addressing these issues in line with the relevant legislation.”
The enforcement action has been taken under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. NRS has been given a deadline of September 30, 2025, to rectify the problems and meet the required standards.
Miliband’s Nuclear Quango Chief In Line for £200,000 for Working Three Days a Week
Guido Fawkes 4th Aug 2025, https://order-order.com/2025/08/04/milibands-nuclear-quango-chief-in-line-for-200000-for-working-three-days-a-week/
Great British Energy – Nuclear (not to be confused with the inexplicably separate quango Great British Energy) is searching for a new chairman. ‘GBE-N’, as it is known in the ever growing domain of government bodies poking around in the energy industry, is in charge of delivering small modular reactors (SMRs) in the UK, among other things. That programme has been ongoing since at least 2015…
Now Red Ed is looking for a new head for the organisation – and a live job advert shows a cool salary of more than £203,268 per annum for just three days a week. Meltdown for taxpayers…
The government is banking on deploying SMRs in the 2030s. The new chair will oversee that target with a “more agile, programmatic and faster delivery approach than has been achieved previously”. That won’t be hard, because currently zero SMRs have been delivered. It’s such a civil service priority it’s a three day a week role…
Sizewell C to give jobs to hundreds of ex-offenders
Hundreds of ex-offenders will be hired to work on the construction of the
Sizewell C nuclear power station as part of a drive to generate broader
social and economic benefits from big public infrastructure projects.
Sizewell C, which was given the final go-ahead last month, is already
working with local prisons in Suffolk to design training courses in
welding, construction, engineering and hospitality that are aimed at
equipping inmates with the skills needed to work on the plant.
The Observer 3rd Aug 2025, https://observer.co.uk/news/national/article/a-second-chance-sizewell-c-to-give-jobs-to-hundreds-of-ex-offenders
Sellafield nuclear plant contractors to strike
BBC 5th Aug 2025,
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg38w4xly3o
Workers supplying the Sellafield nuclear site have voted in favour of strike action over pay.
Almost 40 workers at Fellside Combined Heat and Power facility, the plant supplying the steam and power to the Cumbria site, will take industrial action on 19 and 20 August after rejecting two pay offers.
Owned by PX Ltd, Unite workers are also undertaking an overtime ban.
PX Ltd said it was unable to comment as another meeting was due to take place with the union on Wednesday. A spokesperson for Sellafield said the site was not “directly involved in the dispute”.
The final pay offer was 3.5 to 5% depending on a set of criteria, Unite said.
Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “PX Limited can clearly afford to pay our members for the vital work they do but is choosing to put profits over people.
“This dispute is completely caused by the employer’s greed.”
A spokesperson for Sellafield added: “As always, the safety and security of the Sellafield site, our workforce and the local community will be our priority during any industrial action.”
Anti-nuclear weapons demo takes place at Faslane base
HM Naval Base Clyde is home to the Royal Navy’s four Vanguard-class submarines – HMS Vanguard, Vengeance, Victorious and Vigilant – which each carry Trident 2 D5 nuclear missiles.
Gemma Ryder Reporter, 02 Aug 2025,
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/anti-nuclear-weapons-demo-takes-35664128
The “No To Nuclear Weapons” gathering was organised by Justice & Peace Scotland, and brought people of all faiths together for prayer, reflection, and a public stance against nuclear arms.
Those in attendance included Most Rev William Nolan, Catholic Archbishop of Glasgow and Bishop-President of Justice & Peace Scotland; Rt Rev Rosie Frew, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland; and Most Rev Mark Strange, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church.
They were joined by members of the Quakers, the Iona Community, the United Reformed Church, and other religious groups amid growing global tensions.
The UK is preparing to upgrade and expand its nuclear weapons system and President Trump ordered two nuclear submarines to be deployed “in the appropriate regions” in response to comments by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on social media.
Archbishop Nolan said: “The phrase ‘never again’ gained much currency 80 years ago.
“But the actions of nuclear powers, including our own, run contrary to that.
“As the late Pope Benedict articulated, the very concept of a nuclear deterrence has instead fuelled an arms race as those on opposing sides keep seeking to outdo the other.
“We have seen this in the replacement for Trident. Deterrence itself, therefore, has increased insecurity and does nothing to build up trust which is necessary to encourage disarmament and build up peace.”
HM Naval Base Clyde — located near Helensburgh on the Gare Loch — is home to the UK’s four Vanguard-class submarines, each armed with Trident 2 D5 nuclear missiles, capable of striking targets up to 4,000 miles away.
Rt Rev Frew said: “On the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it seems right to stand with other Christians saying ‘No’ to nuclear weapons and ‘Yes’ to peace.
“My hope and prayer is to live in a world without war or the threat of war, a world without the threat of the deployment of nuclear weapons.
“I know opinion is very divided on holding nuclear weapons but I don’t believe anyone would ever wish them to be deployed, both those who will gather outside and those who serve in HM Naval Base Clyde.
“The Church of Scotland stands in solidarity with all those who work at Faslane in the service of the United Kingdom, while praying for peace in a world where there is no threat of nuclear weapons ever being used.”
Justice & Peace Scotland said the use and threat of nuclear weapons is incompatible with Christian teaching, and called on political leaders to reject a future based on “fear and power-wielding”.
They added: “Nuclear weapons are fundamentally incompatible with this call as their existence threatens indiscriminate destruction and a future built on fear and power-wielding rather than on fraternity amongst nations.”
Sizewell C nuclear costs could hit £100bn including financing, modelling shows
Total for nuclear power station project set to be billions of pounds higher
than official government estimates.
The true cost of the Sizewell C power
station in Suffolk could be tens of billions of pounds higher than official
government estimates once financing costs are factored in, according to
official modelling seen by the Financial Times.
The UK government last week
said the mostly debt-funded project would cost an estimated £38bn in real
2024 prices to build. Under the financial structure of the deal, investors
will be rewarded if the project is built for less than £40bn, and not
obliged to put in further funds if costs rise above £47.7bn — which is
considered unlikely.
But financial modelling — prepared as part of the
wider fundraising process and seen by the Financial Times — gives a range
of roughly £80bn-£100bn in nominal terms over the period of construction
for the two scenarios, once debt interest and payments to shareholders are
factored in. That would imply costs of roughly £65bn-£80bn in real 2024
terms, although the exact costs will depend on inflation rates and spending
rates across the lifetime of the project.
FT 2nd Aug 2025, https://www.ft.com/content/5f54592e-50ba-4a1e-8219-7a4eb01f74ed
Sizewell C will cost more than Hinkley: Is it worth it?
Priced in ‘real’ terms today, the £47.7bn cost ceiling will rise further with inflation,
potentially over £60bn. The total tally for the UK’s latest bet on
nuclear power, Sizewell C, is highly likely to rise above the cost of
Hinkley Point C.
The question is, will the potential savings for low-carbon
power next decade justify the cost? Taken together, the impact of project
overruns and inflation could push up the estimated £38 billion price tag
of the nuclear power project, in 2024 prices, by between almost £10bn and
£20bn or more.
That is because the £47.7bn upper cost threshold set for
the project by government – which Energy Voice reported on the day a
final investment decision was made would be funded by £36.6bn of new debt
finance from the UK National Wealth Fund (NWF) – is a moving target.
Priced in ‘real’ terms today, that cost ceiling will rise further with
inflation, making the true cost of Sizewell C likely to be far greater than
the incomplete nuclear power station in Somerset, despite the fact that as
a replica it was meant to be cheaper due to economies of scale. Independent
analysis from the House of Commons Library shows energy bills would need to
rise to cover the extra spend. SNP Energy spokesperson Graham Leadbitter MP
said: “This toxic overspend now totals £48bn.” A major financier of
the project, the sovereign fund NWF, has conceded that the ultimate cost of
the Suffolk project could balloon well above the £38bn price tag confirmed
by ministers this month, already nearly double the initial £20bn estimate.
Energy Voice 30th July 2025. https://www.energyvoice.com/all-news/577297/sizewell-c-will-cost-more-than-hinkley-is-it-worth-it/
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