Clean Energy

A thriving nuclear power sector is an essential component of the UK’s path to net zero.

All but one of the UK’s nuclear power plants are scheduled to come offline within the next nine years. This means that nearly a fifth of our country’s electricity supply will disappear, just as demand is forecast to rocket to enable the replacement of fossil fuels for powering our cars and heating our homes.

Current and new nuclear technologies have the potential to provide an affordable, clean and reliable source of power for the UK’s future energy mix.

For NNL, embracing the challenges of net zero means building significant capability across the fuel cycle through initiatives such as our Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme – part of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s (BEIS) £505m Energy Innovation Programme; as well as working with the rest of our sector to provide the infrastructure it needs to be able to commercially deploy potentially transformative new nuclear technologies.

Large scale nuclear power will continue to play a significant role and we will continue to support the opportunities this offers, such as in hydrogen generation. But the government’s backing of a new advanced modular approach – the Energy White Paper has called for operational Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and a demonstrator Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) by the early 2030s – means that the operating space for new nuclear technologies is stronger than ever.

The modular approach offers the opportunity to shift nuclear projects from construction sites to purpose built factories, with standardised components manufactured on a production line before being transported to site and assembled. This makes the infrastructure reliably replicable from one project to the next and much more attractive to invest in.

In other words, quicker to deploy and cheaper to finance.

At NNL, we are recognised for our research and development expertise in reactors, fuel cycles and clean energy applications, and have cultivated this experience with our core customer base. Our work provides the foundations that enable EDF’s reactor fleet to provide electricity to around 17 million homes each year, and that help RollsRoyce and the Ministry of Defence keep the UK’s submarines at sea.

Now, with the urgent challenges ahead, we are using this grounding to assess the skills, capabilities and technologies required for nuclear to take its appropriate place in the nation’s future energy portfolio.

Taking emerging technologies from concept to reality means evolving and building our sovereign capability to support the demonstration of an AMR by the early 2030s. Working with government and the UK nuclear sector, we will establish the pathway to demonstration and ensure NNL delivers the skills and facilities the industry needs to meet this ambition.

We want to support the many facets of nuclear’s potential within the clean energy space, not only in delivering reliable and affordable green electricity but as a critical component for decarbonising other energy vectors.

Whether in progressing avenues for synthetic fuels or green hydrogen production, we will support the development and maturity of these advanced systems and provide the backing needed for the UK industry to be able to commercially deploy new nuclear technologies over the coming decades.

Support for all technologies, large, small and advanced, is critical for the UK and our role in research, development and demonstration is crucial, as is building the right skills base. We will work with government to promote growth and investment in the UK’s national nuclear capabilities to support the country’s net zero goals.

In working with government and our industry partners, we want to continue to build the UK’s global competitive advantage and secure its position as the most attractive place to develop these technologies in Europe, and around the world.

We will work with government to promote growth and investment in the UK’s national nuclear capabilities to support the country’s net zero goals.

Nuclear generated green hydrogen

To enable the deep decarbonisation that is required to meet net zero, it is clear that hydrogen will need to play an ever increasing role. Nuclear generated green hydrogen, alongside other clean energy routes, will enable a plentiful supply to fuel our future economy.

Alongside existing electrolysis methods, NNL is exploring new ways in which the high-grade heat generated by advanced reactors could be used to the same end. These techniques could unlock the decarbonisation of our large scale industry and transport systems by providing immense amounts of green hydrogen at much lower costs.

NNL is creating new cross sector partnerships to accelerate this work, support government decision-making and attract investor interest in nuclear generated hydrogen. This includes mapping out the evolution of potential nuclear hydrogen production technologies and the impact they could have on future energy scenarios.

By measuring the required target cost for hydrogen production against the most likely techniques for deployment, the aim is to find economically competitive solutions that maximise the contribution of nuclear to achieving net zero by 2050

NNL is exploring new ways in which the high-grade heat generated by advanced reactors could be used to the same end. These techniques could unlock the decarbonisation of our large scale industry and transport systems by providing immense amounts of green hydrogen at much lower costs.