Nuclear Group
Nuclear energy is the only large-scale provider of low-carbon electricity in the UK, accounting for 22% of our current electricity production. In 2006 there were 23 nuclear reactors operating the in UK including: eight Magnox reactors, the last due to close in 2010, fourteen Advanced Gas Cooled Reactors (AGRs), the last due for decommissioning in 2023, and one Pressurised Water Reactors due for decommissioning in 2035.
Before and beyond this the UK Government must not rule out the possibility that new nuclear build might be necessary at some point in the future in order to meet our ambitions on reducing carbon emissions
Group members
Group Leader: Prof Barry Marsden
Membership: Prof Timothy Abram, Dr Hossam Abuel-Naga, Dr Imran Afgan, Prof Robert A Ainsworth, Dr Flavien Billard, Mr Dennis Cooper, Dr Mark Cotton, Ms Marialuisa Gentile, Dr Graham Hall, Prof Hector Iacovides, Dr Andrey P Jivkov, Dr Abbie Jones, Dr Amir Keshmiri, Prof Brian Launder, Prof Dominique Laurence, Miss Lorraine Mcdermott, Prof Paul M Mummery, Mrs Laure A Pellet, Dr Stefano Rolfo, Dr Marc Schmidt, Prof Peter Storey, Prof Graham Thompson, Dr Kwong-Lai Tsang, Prof Ali Turan, Dr Juan Uribe, Prof John Yates
The Government is committed to ensuring that the country continues to sustain its existing nuclear power stations, and deal with historic liabilities through the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.
Internationally, the Generation IV Forum (GIF) has been established with the objective to identify and pursue research and development needed to develop reactors which could be commissioned from 2030 (or earlier) and which could provide: competitively priced electricity; improved proliferation resistance; exceptional safety performance; and waste minimisation advancing on current technology. The GIF collaboration includes the USA, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Korea, Japan, South Africa, Switzerland, and UK.
Nuclear Decommissioning Engineering is a major research theme in MACE and is well supported by EPSRC and the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency. The UK has a number of nuclear facilities, fuel reprocessing plants, reactors and research facilities that are now no longer required. A number of 'end of life' options have been considered and a total systems approach to determine the optimum decommissioning strategy for the diverse range of legacy nuclear plants is being undertaken.