£31 million new nuclear injection
2 Apr 2013
London, UK - The nuclear industry received a boost this week as Business Secretary Vince Cable announced major funding awards that will commercialise technologies in the new nuclear sector.
The funding will support 36 projects across the UK in developing new technologies for the construction, operation and decommissioning of nuclear power plants. This will bring together over 60 experienced organisations that will begin work alongside innovative small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and universities.
The £18 million joint funding between the Technology Strategy Board, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is expected to leverage in an additional £13 million making the total value of the projects £31 million.
Business secretary Vince Cable has stated, “There are huge global opportunities that the UK is well placed to take advantage of in the nuclear industry. Our research base will help develop new technologies that can be commercialised here and then exported across the globe. The Technology Strategy Board is playing a vital role in helping UK businesses realise their potential and compete on a bigger scale. There are many innovative SMEs across the nuclear sector and this joint funding reinforces the government’s commitment to a nuclear strategy that will create jobs and growth.”
The announcement has been made alongside the publication of the government’s nuclear industrial strategy, which sets out the objectives to develop a strong and sustainable nuclear industry in the UK.
“Delivering a new fleet of nuclear power stations to help meet the country’s energy needs involves a number of highly-sophisticated and leading technologies. The support announced today will help to develop capabilities in this country,” suggests Iain Gray, of the Technology Strategy.
One of the projects to receive major investment is a consortium lead by OC Robotics which has been chosen to receive almost £6 million in funding.
The company is developing a technology called LaserSnake, a robotically controlled laser cutting tool that can be used underwater or above ground in confined and hazardous spaces, combining robot technology with a laser cutting head that was adapted for nuclear use by Cambridge-based TWI.
It could play a key role in nuclear decommissioning projects to dismantle vessels, support structures and pipe work and is supported by £1 million of funding from the NDA.
The funding will help OC Robotics to develop a full demonstration project; leading to the UK being a world leader in this technology, with the potential to be used across other sectors including the military and construction industries.
By 2030 it is forecast that globally there will be £930 billion investment in building new reactors and £250 billion in decommissioning those that are coming off-line.
The new nuclear build programme in the UK alone could generate up to 40,000 jobs at its peak, whilst the nuclear industrial strategy sets out the basis for a long-term partnership between government and industry to exploit those opportunities.
