Ambient office = 58 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 97 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 100 nanosieverts per hour

Roma tomato from Central Market = 77 nanosieverts per hour

Tap water = 100 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 89 nanosieverts per hour

Part 1 of 2 Parts
     The U.K. government’s consultation on the siting of nuclear power plants beyond 2025 reflects the changing nuclear landscape in the U.K. It proposes a new approach to national planning policy that is more flexible and led by developers. This is potentially of great interest for the developers and manufactures of advanced nuclear technologies such as SMRs, especially if the new policy supports scalability and cost efficiencies. However, whether the proposed changes will provide optimal support requires careful consideration.
     Following the release of the newly designated suite of energy National Policy Statements (NPS) (comprising updates to EN-1 to EN-5, designated in January 2024) comes publication of the government’s report on a new approach to the siting of nuclear power plants beyond 2025 and the start of the process towards designation of a brand new nuclear NPS (EN-7). The consultation (which closes on 10 March 2024) is important because it proposes some significant changes to the site selection process at the DCO pre-application stage. It inform the overall policy approach in EN-7 to be consulted on later in the year.
     In summary, the proposed new policy is designed to be more flexible than EN-6 (the current NPS for nuclear power generation). This is in response to the changing nuclear landscape and it supports a longer-term pipeline of projects beyond 2025. It has a wider scope, enables site selection by developers (rather than government) and imposes no time limits for the deployment of new projects.
     EN-7 will supersede EN-6 when released, but EN-6 will not be withdrawn and will remain an important consideration to DCOs made for the sites listed in it.
     EN-6 was released in 2011 and only applies to large-scale conventional gigawatt (GW) power plants. These are based on the only commercially viable nuclear technology available at that time. and identifies eight geographical locations are identified that are considered by the government as potentially suitable for the deployment of new nuclear power stations in England and Wales by the end of 2025.
     However, advances in nuclear technologies mean that a new generation of nuclear reactors are likely to be deployed within the next decade. These include Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs) and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).
     Nuclear energy, and AMRs and SMRs in particular, are expected to play an increasingly important role in the U.K.’s energy mix to support energy security and climate goals as highlighted in the Energy Security Strategy. Planning policy needs to catch up and include these new technologies alongside conventional nuclear plant technology which will continue to remain important.
     The advanced technologies under consideration are smaller than conventional nuclear power station reactors and are designed so that elements of the plant can be prefabricated off-site. This reduces construction risks and makes these developments potentially more affordable. They require smaller sites that are not reliant on water-cooling requirements, alongside advances that allow other nuclear outputs to be captured and used. This means that new sorts of sites can be considered suitable.
Please read Part 2 next

Ambient office = 53 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 113 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 112 nanosieverts per hour

Red bell pepper from Central Market = 108 nanosieverts per hour

Tap water = 100 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 91 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient office = 56 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 90 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 85 nanosieverts per hour

Green onion from Central Market = 125 nanosieverts per hour

Tap water = 84 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 76 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient office = 73 nanosieverts per hour

Ambient outside = 103 nanosieverts per hour

Soil exposed to rain water = 104 nanosieverts per hour

Mini cucumber from Central Market = 77 nanosieverts per hour

Tap water = 81 nanosieverts per hour

Filter water = 76 nanosieverts per hour

Dover Sole from Central = 98 nanosieverts per hour

     Microreactors are referred to by some as ‘nuclear batteries.’ They are squarely in the spotlight at this year’s POWERGEN International 2024 conference. Microreactors do not produce more than fifty megawatts. Discussions at the conference explored the latest technologies, popular applications and the unique business models making them commercially viable. Four microreactors were highlighted as trailblazers in the sector:
     The eVinci Microreactor from Westinghouse Electric Company is a heat pipe reactor that can produce 5MWe with a 13MWth core design. The reactor core is designed to run for eight or more full-power years before it needs to be refueled.
     The eVinci reactor is factory-assembled and transportable in shipping containers via rail, barge, or truck. Customers will probably be industrial actors and remote communities. Applications include industrial heat and power, military, microgrids, cogeneration and hydrogen production. The first eVinci microreactor is scheduled to be operational by 2029.
     NANO Nuclear Energy is working on ZEUS, a solid core battery reactor, and ODIN, a low-pressure coolant reactor.
     The ZEUS microreactor is designed to harness thermal energy for direct heat applications or to convert it into electric power. This allows for a variety of applications, ranging from heating to electricity generation.
     The ODIN reactor will operate at higher than conventional water-cooled reactor temperatures. This will boost resilience and conversion efficiency in generating electricity. According to NANO, the ODIN design is intended to take advantage of the natural convection of coolant for heat transfer to the power conversion cycle at full power and for decay heat removal during reactor shutdown, operational transients, and off-normal conditions.
     Both NANO microreactors use High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel, are modular, and are easily transportable.
     The Micro Modular Reactor (MMR) Energy System from Ultra Safe Nuclear is a fourth-generation nuclear energy system that is being licensed in Canada and the U.S. and is advertised as the first ‘fission battery’ in commercialization. Ultra Safe Nuclear has created an order book for first users, with demonstration units scheduled to be operational in 2026.
     The MMRs are being developed for government applications. These reactors are intended for use in space and are designed to offer energy security and decarbonization for hard-to-abate sectors, and remote communities. The MMR is modular and scalable and operates on ceramic-based TRISO fuel.
     James Walker is the CEO of NANO Nuclear Energy. He stated that “nuclear is getting smaller…you could produce potentially thousands of these per year.” He added that while this may be the case, there are some significant challenges to overcome before production can increase.
These challenges include:
• Microreactors mainly compete with diesel generators which are a much more cost-effective option. To become more competitive, many more of these microreactors need to be sold to create economies of scale and this will take time. To be viable, the industry is targeting twelve to fourteen cents per KWh.
• New business models are needed. NANO Nuclear is leasing the energy produced by their microreactors to remove capital cost from the customer. Other commercial models are being explored in which communities can act as developers or part equity owners.
• A skilled workforce is required for microreactors. The question of who will maintain and operate these reactors on site must be answered. This is especially true because some customers will choose not to operate the system themselves.
• An efficient, domestic supply chain and secure fuel sources are critical to the success of the microreactor industry.
     Microreactors have a long way to go before they can take their place in the energy mix. However, it must be emphasized that they aren’t here to compete with big build nuclear. Their value lies in their various niche applications. This is where these microreactors can make the biggest impact in the energy sector.