The government has launched Great British Nuclear (GBN), an arms-length body intended to boost the delivery of new nuclear. The body has been launched with interim chair Simon Bowen and chief executive Gwen Parry-Jones.
Key among GBN’s activities will be support for new small modular reactor (SMR) designs and a site selection process for SMR projects.
DESNZ said GBN’s technology selection process for SMRs will be followed by a contract notice that sets out an intention to enter into a development contract with successful bidders. They will be offered:
• funding to support technology development site-specific design
• a close partnership with GBN, which will be ready and able to provide developer capability
• support in accessing sites.
The process of identifying the best SMR technologies began with market intelligence gathering, which concluded in June 2023. Initial down-selection of technologies will conclude in Autumn 2023 with the next phase to launch “as quickly as possible” with the aim that successful technologies will ready to enable a Final Investment Decision (FID) by 2029.
Bowen said, “GBN is core to delivering the government’s new nuclear programme. Building on the work done at Hinkley Point and Sizewell, today’s announcement of the start of the SMR selection process signifies a real step forward in delivering the scale of nuclear power that Britain needs for secure, sustainable energy future.”
Meanwhile DESNZ said two projects had been shortlisted for grants from its Future Nuclear Enabling Fund, which are now undergoing pre-award due diligence. The combined total of the potential grants is £77.1 million.
It is considering funding a further bid that exceeded quality requirements, but did not meet the required threshold with regard to its Generic Design Assessment (GDA). It said, “Introducing further diversity into the UK market is important for the government’s ambition of deploying up to 24GW of nuclear capacity by 2050.”
Julia Pyke, Joint Managing Director for Sizewell C said: “If Hinkley had been on last year, UK consumers would have saved over £4 billion.” However the project is currently not expected to start up until at least 2027.
Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said: “There a range of sites and communities across the country ready to host SMR technology, alongside the large scale nuclear capacity we will also need.”
Alongside the launch, the government announced funding for three research projects in so-called advanced modular reactors (AMRs), which whose high temperature operation means they can provide heat for hydrogen and other industrial uses while generating power. They are:
• up to £22.5 million to Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation UK in Warrington to further develop the design of a high temperature micro modular reactor
• up to £15 million to National Nuclear laboratory in Warrington to accelerate the design of a high temperature reactor, following its success in Japan
• up to £16 million to National Nuclear Laboratory in Preston to continue to develop capability to manufacture the coated-particle fuel that is suitable for high temperature reactors.