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Released December 14, 2017 | GALWAY, IRELAND
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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--The U.K. wants to be at the forefront of the development of new nuclear power technology with the announcement of £56 million ($75.5 million) in research funding over the next three years.
The government said that the funding will "help support research and development into innovative advanced and small modular reactors (SMRs)" as well as assess their feasibility and accelerate the development of promising designs. It also will support early access to regulators to build the "capability and capacity needed to assess and licence small reactor designs." It also plans to shortly launch the second phase of its Nuclear Innovation Programme, including up to £8 million ($10.7 million) for work on modern safety and security methodologies and studies in advanced fuels.
Last year, Industrial Info reported that the U.K. government had launched a competition to find a partner to introduce mini nuclear reactors to the U.K. electricity market. Those competing include NuScale Power LLC (Portland, Oregon), Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (Monroeville, Pennsylvania) and Rolls Royce (LSE:RR) (London, England). For additional information, see March 30, 2016, article - U.K. Opens Competition for Mini Nuclear Power Plants.
"New industry figures show that the U.K.'s civil nuclear sector contributed £6.4 billion ($8.6 billion) to the U.K. economy last year," commented Business U.K. Secretary Greg Clark. "Today's announcements recognise the importance of industry driving innovation, supported by government, so the sector continues to compete at the very highest level, not just in the U.K. but globally."
A further £86 million ($115 million) of funding also was revealed for fusion research to set up a national fusion technology platform at the U.K. Atomic Energy Authority's Culham Science Centre in Oxfordshire.
Earlier this year, Industrial Info reported that the latest Tokamak fusion reactor reached "first plasma" in the U.K. The ST40 was built by private fusion energy venture Tokamak Energy (Oxfordshire, England) and was turned on for the first time in May generating a molten mass of electrically-charged gas, known as plasma, inside its core. The company wants to deliver small-scale commercial fusion energy to the grid by 2030. For additional information, see May 8, 2017, article - Fusion Reactor Fired-Up in the U.K..
"The new investment will reinforce the U.K.'s world-leading fusion research and development capability, and allow U.K. firms to compete for up to a further £1 billion of international contracts for fusion technologies, including for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER)," Clark added.
Industrial Info is tracking the world's largest experimental nuclear fusion project at the Tokamak Complex in France. Located in Cadarache in southern France, construction of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) fusion reactor project has been ongoing since 2013. The 13 billion-euro ($15.3 billion) project, if successful, will be able to produce "three to four times" more power than conventional nuclear. The Tokamak will have estimated generating capacity of 500 megawatts (MW).
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, five offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Our European headquarters are located in Galway, Ireland. Follow IIR Europe on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn For more information on our European coverage send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.eu or visit us online at Industrial Info Europe.
The government said that the funding will "help support research and development into innovative advanced and small modular reactors (SMRs)" as well as assess their feasibility and accelerate the development of promising designs. It also will support early access to regulators to build the "capability and capacity needed to assess and licence small reactor designs." It also plans to shortly launch the second phase of its Nuclear Innovation Programme, including up to £8 million ($10.7 million) for work on modern safety and security methodologies and studies in advanced fuels.
Last year, Industrial Info reported that the U.K. government had launched a competition to find a partner to introduce mini nuclear reactors to the U.K. electricity market. Those competing include NuScale Power LLC (Portland, Oregon), Westinghouse Electric Company LLC (Monroeville, Pennsylvania) and Rolls Royce (LSE:RR) (London, England). For additional information, see March 30, 2016, article - U.K. Opens Competition for Mini Nuclear Power Plants.
"New industry figures show that the U.K.'s civil nuclear sector contributed £6.4 billion ($8.6 billion) to the U.K. economy last year," commented Business U.K. Secretary Greg Clark. "Today's announcements recognise the importance of industry driving innovation, supported by government, so the sector continues to compete at the very highest level, not just in the U.K. but globally."
A further £86 million ($115 million) of funding also was revealed for fusion research to set up a national fusion technology platform at the U.K. Atomic Energy Authority's Culham Science Centre in Oxfordshire.
Earlier this year, Industrial Info reported that the latest Tokamak fusion reactor reached "first plasma" in the U.K. The ST40 was built by private fusion energy venture Tokamak Energy (Oxfordshire, England) and was turned on for the first time in May generating a molten mass of electrically-charged gas, known as plasma, inside its core. The company wants to deliver small-scale commercial fusion energy to the grid by 2030. For additional information, see May 8, 2017, article - Fusion Reactor Fired-Up in the U.K..
"The new investment will reinforce the U.K.'s world-leading fusion research and development capability, and allow U.K. firms to compete for up to a further £1 billion of international contracts for fusion technologies, including for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER)," Clark added.
Industrial Info is tracking the world's largest experimental nuclear fusion project at the Tokamak Complex in France. Located in Cadarache in southern France, construction of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) fusion reactor project has been ongoing since 2013. The 13 billion-euro ($15.3 billion) project, if successful, will be able to produce "three to four times" more power than conventional nuclear. The Tokamak will have estimated generating capacity of 500 megawatts (MW).
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, five offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Our European headquarters are located in Galway, Ireland. Follow IIR Europe on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn For more information on our European coverage send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.eu or visit us online at Industrial Info Europe.
