A Nuclear Industrial Strategy, developed by the UK government and industry, has been published this year to enable the United Kingdom to seize the opportunities for economic growth in the nuclear industry. It covers the whole of the nuclear market—new build, waste management and decommissioning, fuel cycle services, operations, and maintenance.
The strategy is being overseen by a Nuclear Industry Council, co-chaired by ministers and industry. It includes a wide range of commitments, including:
▪ £15 million for a new world-class National Nuclear Users Facility for universities and companies carrying out research into nuclear technology. The facility will have centers at the National Nuclear Laboratory at Sellafield, the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy in Oxfordshire, and the University of Manchester’s Dalton Cumbrian Facility.
▪ 36 nuclear research and development (R&D) projects have won £18 million worth of support from a Technology Strategy Board competition, which will leverage in a further £13 million of private sector investment. This includes a consortium led by OC Robotics in Bristol who have received almost £6 million to develop their LaserSnake technology—a robot-controlled laser cutting tool that can be used as part of nuclear decommissioning projects.
▪ £12.5 million to join the Jules Horowitz Test Reactor Program, which is being constructed in France. The reactor will provide the United Kingdom with a radiation testing facility to develop future advance nuclear fuels.
▪ The government spent £66 million in 2011 on nuclear R&D and will keep under review its level of future expenditure. It is keen to explore opportunities to back future reactor designs, including the feasibility of launching a Small Modular Reactor R&D program to ensure that the United Kingdom is a key partner of any new reactor design for the global market.
The strategy is based on the recommendations of the Ad-Hoc Nuclear Research and Development Advisory Board. The Advisory Board was established to oversee work on an industrial vision statement, an R&D roadmap, a review of the R&D landscape, and a long-term nuclear energy strategy.
The Board’s recommendations recognize that nuclear power will continue to play an important role in the Nuclear Industrial Strategy to 2050 and beyond, and that a wide range of technologies may be required to meet the challenges of an expanded demand for nuclear power.
Sir John Beddington, the government’s Chief Scientific Advisor, said, “I am convinced that nuclear power will play a pivotal role in the UK’s energy future. The requirement for nuclear power may exceed current plans for new build, perhaps substantially. It’s therefore crucial that we keep a wide range of technological options open so that we are able to meet this potential demand in a safe and sustainable manner.”
Long-term strategies are being developed by the UK government in partnership with industry in key sectors including oil and gas, education, and the information economy.
