b'Partner News Summer 2020 35CorporateState-of-the- Its hard to visualise the scale - andsubmarines have begun construction.challenge - of producing over 300Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR).submarines. From boats that could cover art solutionsbarely 20 miles submerged to those builtThe only remaining commercial PWR in the today whose limits are dictated by theUK was commissioned in 1995, however amount of stores carried on board, the BAEsince then the Barrow site has continued Systems site at Barrow on the Cumbrianbuilding, testing and commissioning Naval with BAEcoast has been responsible for thePWRs to ensure this capability is maintained production of submarines since 1886. in the UK.SystemsJutting out into the Irish Sea, roughlyPWR technology is well-suited to naval halfway between the Isle of Man andapplications due to a strong negative Manchester, almost 10,000 staff are nowtemperature coefficient, hydrogenous Submarines at work on the two latest programmes. Notmoderator allowing the necessary compact only has it boosted the economy of this partsize of the reactor, separation of the primary of Cumbria, its been felt far further afieldand secondary loops, high heat capacity thanks to the network of almost 5,000coolant, as well as being cooled and suppliers that support them. moderated by the same readily availablemedium: water. In addition, the principles of While the shipyard has a proud history ofPWR operation are widely understood and constructing warships for the Royal Navy,are the most common reactor in use today.it built the Navys first submarine in 1901. Developments and innovation came quickly;The current PWR2 design is a development just over half a century later, plans werefrom the original PWR1 design, which was made to build nuclear powered submarinesenabled by technology transfer through the with the first, Dreadnought, commissioned1958 US-UK Mutual Defence Agreement. in 1963 at Barrow, a place described as the gateway to the Lakes and a greatThis agreement with the US allowed place to live and work by the Head of Testthe Royal Navys first nuclear powered and Commissioning, Aaron Iddon. Todaysubmarine, Dreadnought, to be built with a the yard is buzzing with activity; Astutefifth generation US reactor, S5W. The PWR1 class nuclear attack submarines and thedesign was the first British naval reactor, new Dreadnought class Ballistic Missilewhich had a core and reactor assembly'