Monday 2 December 2024

National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) is marking World Nuclear Energy Day (2 December) by highlighting pioneering developments in nuclear fuel technology, reinforcing the UK’s position as a global leader in nuclear innovation. 

Imagine if something the size of a poppy seed could provide enough energy to boil eight kettles? Coated particle fuel (CPF) is the fuel to be used by the next generation of nuclear reactors and could do exactly that, and it’s being researched and made here in the UK at NNL’s Preston laboratory by scientists at the cutting edge of nuclear technology. 

ITN reporter Alex Iszatt recently visited NNL’s Preston laboratory to see first-hand how this research is shaping the future of clean energy production. NNL’s expert nuclear scientists guided Alex through the process of creating CPF from start to finish and you can follow that journey too by watching the video below:

World Nuclear Energy Day is a chance to show how nuclear is playing its part in making energy cleaner, greener and more secure, and the benefit this brings to the wider public.  

The development of CPF represents a major step forward for clean energy by contributing towards the UK’s journey to net zero, creating a greener environment for all. Its potential to significantly reduce the environmental impact of generating energy is clear – to produce the same amount of energy that three tiny CPF kernels provide you would have to burn 1 kg of coal. 

CPF is also groundbreaking in how safe it is to use. Often dubbed ‘the most robust nuclear fuel’, it is made up of a uranium kernel, approximately half a millimetre in diameter, protected by four sophisticated layers of ceramic and carbon coating. This effectively seals in any radioactive fission products when used in a nuclear reactor, making it one of the safest nuclear fuel designs to date.  

Dr Gareth Headdock, Chief Science & Technology Officer at NNL said:
“It’s fitting on World Nuclear Energy Day to highlight how the future of nuclear energy is being written here in the UK by NNL’s world-leading scientists. 

“We’re making great strides forward in developing nuclear technology that is cleaner, safer and helps the UK achieve its net-zero ambitions. At the same time, we’re ensuring that the next generation of nuclear scientists have the skills to take the potential of nuclear energy even further, for an even greater benefit to society in the future.”