New nuclear
Summary of Dalton Position Paper – ‘Delivering Advanced Nuclear Energy: The Role of Government’
Author: Charley Nevin, PhD Student, The University of Sheffield The Dalton Nuclear Institute brings together the skills and expertise of the nuclear research community at The University of Manchester. Their recently published position paper titled ‘Delivery of Advanced Nuclear Energy: The Role of Government’ explores the actions that the UK Government can take to smooth […]
Nuclear Research: Waste Disposal Drivers
‘Waste Disposal Drivers for a Range of Nuclear Power Systems’ is my PhD title, but like many PhD titles, this doesn’t give much insight into what I actually do. In real words, the project involves quantitatively assessing five nuclear fuel cycles to draw comparisons between them, focusing on properties and masses of spent fuel, the […]
Wylfa Newydd: Why the opposition?
The recent protests against the proposed Wylfa Newydd nuclear power station have brought to the media’s attention a very pressing issue: lots of people don’t want to live near nuclear power stations. While public support for nuclear power outweighs opposition [1], proposed nuclear sites often face resistance from local communities. This is despite the promises […]
DENMARK’S NUCLEAR PERCEPTION – TURNING TIDES WITH CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM
By Eirik Eide Pettersen A positive public opinion of nuclear energy is essential for its success. Nevertheless, in a number of countries it has proved difficult to convince the public of the benefits of nuclear power over the 70 year history of the nuclear industry. One country that has been particularly affected by a […]
Brexit: Britain’s Nuclear Future
With the vote cast and Britain leaving the EU, it’s hard to say what’s going to happen. Ellis Rintoul takes a look at what people have been saying. The new nuclear build in the UK, planned in order to replace our fleet of ageing nuclear reactors, is being controversially pioneered by the new pressurised water […]
How neo-liberal economics has held back new nuclear build
We finish our discussion of new nuclear with a look into how modern day economics has impacted nuclear power. We live in an economic system constructed around the ideology of neoliberalism. This laissez-faire economic thinking prioritises the free-market and the curtailing of the state, which was actualised in the 1980s by politicians like Ronald Reagan and Margaret […]
A drop in the ocean?
Chloë discusses the UK’s recent nuclear political history, and why choices made in the 80’s might have damaged the future of nuclear energy. The UK currently has 15 nuclear reactors which generate about 18% of our yearly energy consumption1. 14 of these reactors are due to be shutdown by 2030, with the final, Sizewell […]
Why have there not been any new nuclear builds since Sizewell B?
It is no secret that the UK’s public opinion on nuclear power is deeply divided, with only ~ 35 % having a favourable viewpoint on atomic energy.1 This division has left our industry in a state of limbo for some time, resulting in an entire generation of plants being shut down (such as Wylfa’s MW […]
Generation III+, IV, and fusion
Light Water Reactors (LWRs) are Gen II commercial reactors, which were built for an operational lifetime of 40 years. Most of the nuclear reactors built in the 70s and 80s are commercial pressurized (PWRs) or boiling water reactors (BWRs), which are both LWRs. At present, 11% of the world’s electricity comes from these nuclear reactors, they […]
Another EPR, or time for something new?
LWR’s where built en masse in the 70s and 80s, what kind of reactor are we likely to see in a nuclear renaissance? We are currently in the third generation of nuclear power stations. These power stations boast increased thermal efficiency, improved fuel technology and standardized designs compared to the generation II reactors currently operating […]