Part 1 of 2 Parts
The United Kingdom currently derives about twenty percent of its electricity from fifteen nuclear power plants. Unless some of these reactors undergo expensive upgrades for extended life spans, fourteen of them will have to shut down by 2025. In addition, coal fired power plants contributed about ten percent to the energy mix and the last of Britain’s coal plants will also be shut down by 2025. This means that almost a third of the U.K. capacity to generate electricity will have to be replaced in the next seven years just to maintain the current level.
The U.K. government intends to use wind and nuclear power to replace the generating capacity that is being lost. This means that they will have to bring over ten new nuclear power reactors online in the next seven years at the very least which is a very ambitious plan. Currently there are only six nuclear projects being licensed and constructed in the U.K. and, given that it can take up to ten years to license and construct a nuclear power plant, they may not even replace what will be lost by 2025.
Recently, Greg Clark, the U.K. Business and Energy Secretary, gave an overview of the new “Sector Deal” while vising the Trawsfynydd site in North Wales which has received a nuclear license. The Sector Deal was produced by the Nuclear Industry Council (NIC). The membership of the council includes representatives from the manufacturing, engineering, science and research communities as well as the U.K. government.
Clark said that the Sector Deal was a "commitment by the sector to work collectively, with support from government, to deliver on the Industrial Strategy, drive clean growth throughout the economy and make civil nuclear power an integral part of the UK's energy future".
The NIC first reveals its suggestions for a nuclear Sector Deal in December of last year. This followed the publication of the government’s white paper on Industrial Strategy which emphasized the future role of nuclear energy in the U.K.
Some of the important elements in the Sector Deal include: seventy-four million dollars for research and development of advanced modular reactors; one hundred and thirteen million dollars for to create a national fusion technology platform; fifty three million dollars for a facility to support the design of advanced nuclear technologies; forty two million dollars for an advanced nuclear manufacturing and construction program; and forty million dollars for a new national nuclear supply chain program.
The Sector Deal also calls for a reduction in the cost of new nuclear builds by thirty percent by 2030. And it supports a reduction in the cost of decommissioning old nuclear power plants by twenty percent by 2030. There will be a new review of ways to improve and speed up the clean-up of so-called nuclear legacy sites. An increase of gender diversity is also called for under the Sector Deal. The target is a nuclear workforce that is forty percent women by 2030.The Sector Deal will also include “clear support” for the U.K.’s nuclear fuel capability and micro nuclear reactors.
The CEO of the Nuclear Industry Association said, “This ambitious deal between industry and government will ensure nuclear plays a key role in providing the UK's low-carbon energy supply for the future, maximizing opportunities in overseas markets, leveraging technology and innovation and increasing competitiveness.”
Please read Part 2