The decision of the U.K. to exit the European Union, referred to as the Brexit, has far reaching ramifications. Among other things, it is causing great turbulence in their nuclear industry. As part of the European Union, they were tied to the continental nuclear industry with treaties that covered research funding, nuclear fuel sources, nuclear waste issues, etc. Now that they are withdrawing, new agreements have to be made to cover a variety of nuclear related issues. In addition, the new nuclear reactor project at Hinkley Point C is behind schedule and over estimated budget to the point where critics are concerned that completing the project might raise the price of electricity and preclude investment in alternative renewable energy sources.
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is an independent engineering society that represents mechanical engineers and the profession. It is located in central London and has over one hundred and fifteen thousand members in one hundred and forty countries. Engineers working in railway, automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, energy, biomedical and construction are represented in the membership.
IMechE just released a report titled Nuclear Power: A Future Pathway for the UK. The report reviews the state of nuclear policy in the UK following the announcement last week that the UK government will provide more support to develop small modular reactors (SMRs). The report focuses on what it considers to be three immediate and urgent roadblocks that are slowing the progress of nuclear projects in Britain. It also demands that the UK government consider a wider range of nuclear technologies than are currently in use in the UK.
There are three main objectives detailed in the IMechE report. First, all of the existing nuclear capacity should be replaced by new nuclear plants by 2030. Second, a fleet of small modular reactor power stations should be constructed by 2040. Third, Generation IV reactors that operate at much high temperatures than current reactors should be developed along with nuclear fusion reactors by 2050.
There are three roadblocks that are examined in the report. First, the still-unresolved exit from the Euroatom Treaty as a result of leaving the European Union will prevent the entire UK nuclear industry from functioning. Second, there is no firm timetable and plan for construction of the Deep Geological Disposal facility for high-level nuclear waste. Third, the fate of Britain’s one hundred and twelve tons of plutonium is undecided.
The report also calls for an independent review of the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process. This is the procedure that the government uses to approve new nuclear reactor designs for deployment in the UK. The Office of Nuclear Regulation (ONR) administers the GDA which usually takes around five years. Only two new reactor designs have been approved through this process. The ERP design which will be used in the construction of two new reactors at Hinkley Point C and the AP1000 design which will be built at Moorside in Cumbria. A third new design for the Chinese HPR1000 is about halfway through the process. The report is hopeful that a review of the GDA could prevent unnecessary costs from being added to new reactors and also ensure that any SMRs that are developed can be approved faster. Other recommendations in the report deal with alternative funding options and new facilities and staffing needed to accelerate the development of SMRs.
The head of the IMechE energy and environment department said, “The delays and escalating costs of the Hinkley Point C project has provoked a public backlash in recent years against nuclear power. Yet as a reliable and relatively low carbon source of electricity, it makes sense for nuclear to form a greater part of the UK’s future energy mix, reducing our reliance on coal and gas.” “It is also vital that as the UK prepares to leave the European Union that nuclear construction skills are added to the shortage occupation list ― which would allow experienced workers from oversees to enter the UK.”
