Low Cost Nuclear Phase 1

The project’s goal is to investigate and develop innovative approaches to nuclear power station design that will enable the development of a new type of nuclear power station that can provide electricity at rates competitive with other technologies such as renewables and Gas with carbon capture and storage (CCS). The project focusses on incorporating the latest digital technologies, factory production processes and waste reduction systems into an integrated design development programme. This project will act as proof of concept that the resulting power station design would meet societal, environmental, technical and commercial requirements. The consortium of 10 organisations delivering the project are targeting successful delivery of this initial phase of work within 16 months. Upon successful completion of this project, the consortium intends to continue development of the novel small modular nuclear power station design; with the expressed goal of deploying a fleet of these cost effective, low-carbon power stations through the 2030s and 2040s both in the UK and around the world. Ultimately, this will enable the UK to meet its carbon reduction goals, address the global climate change challenge and access an export market worth in excess of £200Bn by the 2030s. Successful delivery of this project will yield technologies, processes and tools that are also applicable to other novel power station designs, such as advanced modular reactors (AMR), future fusion programmes and other major infrastructure programmes.