Unready Australia Faces Accumulation of Radioactive Waste from AUKUS Nuclear Submarines
The AUKUS deal, which involves Australia receiving eight nuclear-powered submarines, brings with it a new responsibility: managing the nuclear waste that will be generated. However, the strategy for handling this waste is still evolving and faces significant challenges.
The waste generated by these submarines, highly radioactive and requiring active cooling and shielding for many decades (theoretically permanently), is a small volume but tends to produce lots of heat and radiation. The exact amount of high-level waste is classified but estimated to include roughly four tonnes of highly enriched uranium, enough to fuel the fleet but also posing long-term radiological and proliferation risks requiring military-grade security for spent fuel.
Debate and concern persist about safe disposal because Australia currently lacks a permanent site for this kind of nuclear waste. Temporary storage might last decades or indefinitely without a permanent disposal solution. The draft Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulations (2025) discuss potential sites such as Osborne or Stirling for storing waste temporarily, but no final decisions or assured safe disposal methods are confirmed.
The AUKUS deal explicitly places the responsibility for the storage, security, and eventual disposal of waste from the nuclear-powered submarines on Australia. However, no clear plan for the storage of AUKUS waste has been announced. Local and state governments express concerns about the risks and regulatory overrides in these plans.
The Geelong Treaty between the UK and Australia, part of AUKUS Pillar I, formalizes cooperation on submarine lifecycle including disposal, but it does not resolve the final disposal problem; it rather supports regulatory and industrial frameworks needed for sustainment and disposal.
Critics argue that this is "kicking the can down the road" to future generations, as any talk around nuclear waste tends to be highly politically charged. Finland is the only country actually building a permanent deep-geological repository for nuclear waste, and it has taken them 40+ years to get this far.
Each reactor compartment and component is roughly the size of a four-wheel drive, while spent nuclear fuel, which is high-level waste, is roughly the size of a small hatchback. The waste can generally be easily handled and stored, typically only requiring storage in special drums or boxes filled with cement, which can be safely stored above ground.
The spent nuclear fuel will remain highly radioactive for millennia, posing a long-term threat to the environment and potential theft and use as nuclear weapons. It requires safe and secure storage to protect the environment and prevent potential misuse.
As Australia moves forward with the AUKUS deal, finding a solution for the nuclear waste management will be crucial. The government's plan for the future is, they argue, also particularly vague. The situation remains a critical environmental and security challenge for Australia moving forward.
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