Work progressing on project to dismantle nuclear submarine at Rosyth dockyard

Work is on track on a project which will see the completion of the first nuclear submarine to be dismantled in Rosyth by the end of next year.

Members of Fife Council’s South and West Fife Area Committee were given an update on the project at their meeting on Wednesday.

Babcock International’s Nuclear Operations Director, Ken Dyke, told councillors that discussions had now started on what will happen with the six other redundant submarines currently being stored at the West Fife base.

“We have just started discussions the MoD about exactly what we intend to do with the next submarines and how we intend to do that and we are looking at putting that schedule together which will give us clarification,” he said.

“The way we have done the submarine dismantling to date has been a piecemeal way.

“The next submarines that come in will be undertaken as a whole and that will give us a much better idea of the length of time it takes to dispose of a submarine in one go.”

Mr Dyke explained that the submarines all came out of service in the late nineties and HMS Swiftsure has been the “demonstrator” of the dismantling project.

“She is the demonstrator of the process to get rid of the first UK nuclear sub by the end of 2026,” he said.

“That commitment was made to the public in 2019.

“Over 800 tonnes of waste removed and 90 per cent of that is being recycled.”