Nuclear Weapon 110 - Problems at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in the United Kingdom
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) in the United Kingdom has just order a review of the costs and construction schedule for an important facility intended to enrich uranium to weapons grade for Trident nuclear submarines. Project Pegasus is the name of the billion dollar project being built at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in Berkshire. There are serious concerns in the British nuclear industry about rising costs and construction delays. While the MoD and AWE play down the problems, one nuclear expert said that the problems were "extremely serious." He went on to say, "Certainly, this is an issue that is going to run and run – and, don't forget, the Government has a golden share, meaning it can re-procure the contract."
A private sector consortium made up of Serco in the U.K., Lockheed Martin and Jacobs Engineering in the U.S. has a twenty five year management contract to manage the AWE. The "golden share" mentioned in the paragraph above refers to the fact that the U.K. Government has a small stake in the AWE. This golden share allows the Government to outvote the three corporations running the AWE if the national interest of the U.K. is at stake. The U.K. Government can also throw the three companies out the AWE at any time.
The AWE was privatized in 2000 and has had serious problems since then. The Serco corporation was fined about four hundred and forty thousand dollars because of an explosion at AWE. A source within AWE says that "there are always problems there, like corrosion, often caused by the age of the existing facilities." A spokesperson for the AWE said that "The Pegasus project is kept under regular review. No decisions on changes to the scope have been made." The MoD responded to a question from the Green Party by saying that the project must meet the departments "requirements while also achieving the optimum balance of performance cost and schedule".
It has also been reported that the U.K.'s nuclear regulators have been having problems hiring enough inspectors. A research consultant named Dr. David Lowry has written to the Office for Nuclear Regulation demanding to know how they will deal with the shortage of inspectors. The ONR's principle investigator admitted that there is "increasing competition for scarce nuclear-competent engineers and scientists across the sector, but recruitment is yielding results." Dr. Lowry is very concerned that "If the Government expands the new build nuclear program, there would be more pressures on staff and even more stress on an already stressed nuclear regulator."
Nuclear disarmament groups in the U.K. have questioned the need for the Government to spend more than three billion dollars in the next ten years on nuclear weapons when there are social welfare programs being cut. The U.S. is also embroiled in a debate over the need for spending billions of dollars on new nuclear weapons.
Atomic Weapons Establishment:
