Contributors: Olivia Thompson, Dan Mathers, Simon Franklin, Adeola Warner, Alun Ellis, Alyson Armett, Maggie Brown, Edoardo Patelli, Francis Livens, Gordon Bryan, Gregg Butler, John Stairmand, Kirsty Armer, Kirsty Gogan, Malcom Joyce, Mike Lewis, Fiona Rayment
Published in Nuclear Future 21.4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.63198/UKAW1313
The UK Government’s commitment to decarbonise the energy sector by 2035 and reach net zero by 2050 is challenging. A July 2021 report on fiscal risks by the Office for Budget Responsibility estimated a net cost of the UK reaching net zero by 2050 to be £321bn, or just over £10bn per year [1]. The Ukraine war has disrupted gas supplies and post-pandemic recovery has increased energy demand, leading to a significant increase in wholesale gas and electricity prices, thus strengthening the argument for the UK to bolster its energy security.
Currently, around 40% of the UK’s energy supply is imported from overseas [2], and whilst efforts to increase renewable contributions progress, other clean technologies, such as nuclear, must be used in adjunction to maintain energy supplies when wind and solar generation output is intermittent [3]. With its ability to output heat at temperatures above 500°C, the High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) is increasingly seen as a viable technology to produce high-quality nuclear derived heat to mitigate some of the issues mentioned above. Currently there are three HTGR’s in development/ operation internationally
The Nuclear Innovation Research Office (NIRO) is an independent strategic and technical advisor to the government, providing technical input, feedback or peer review for submissions, policy papers, business cases, tender documents, advice to Ministers and design of projects and programmes. NIRO’s work aims to inform policy, support the governmental goal of hitting net zero by 2050 and enable maximum value for money to the UK taxpayer. NIRO supports NIRAB in its preparation of advice and guidance for nuclear energy to play a crucial role in securing a low carbon future for the UK and ensuring energy security.
