AWE
(asked on 3rd December 2018) - View Source
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 15 December 2015 to Question 20228 on AWE, what his most recent estimate is of the (a) anticipated out-turn cost and (b) projected in-service date of each of the new build projects in the Atomic Weapons Establishment Site Development Context Plan.
Answered by
Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The tables below show the approved costs and in-service dates of the new build projects listed in the Atomic Weapons Establishment Site Development Context Plan (SDCP).
In-service dates are shown in bandings to avoid prejudice to national security and defence. Costs for planned projects are subject to approval.
Table 1 – Approved new build projects.
Ongoing projects | Function | In-Service Period | Approved cost |
Warhead assembly/disassembly – Mensa | Manufacturing/ production | 2023 | £1.8 billion |
Uranium components – Pegasus | Manufacturing/ production | Requirement under consideration | £634 million |
Table 2 – Planned projects not yet approved.
Ongoing projects | Function | In-Service Period |
Salts Processing - Octans | Testing/research | 2020-25 |
Initiator system manufacture-Taurus | Manufacturing/production | 2025-30 |
Large Scale formulations-Scorpius | Manufacturing/production | 2030-40 |
Depleted Uranium Facility | Manufacturing/production | 2020-25 |
Assembly for Trials-Columba | Testing/research | 2030-35 |
High Explosive Climatic Trials | Testing/research | 2030-35 |
Four of the projects previously listed are no longer included, as it is now planned to use the existing facilities. These are Small Scale Formulations (Cepheus), New Plutonium Facility, Non-Metallics and Materials (Libra) and Chemical Processing (Astra).
Planned new build projects now also include the Hub, a testing/research facility to be brought into service over the period 2020 – 2025.