Dalton

Is advanced nuclear the route to low-carbon hydrogen production?

By William Bodel Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Renewables, Research and development, Science and Technology, UK economy Posted: January 27, 2025

There is increasing recognition that a UK net zero future will feature a significant role for hydrogen as an energy vector. The UK currently relies heavily on natural gas for heat, industry and power production. If net zero ambitions are to be realised, this must be replaced with either increased electrification (powered by low-carbon sources) […]

Can nuclear power work with renewables to achieve net zero?

By Juan Matthews Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: November 18, 2024

Decarbonising electricity in the UK is far from straightforward. Government plans for the nation’s future electricity supply rely heavily on renewables, supported by gas power during periods of low renewable output. In this article, Professor Juan Matthews considers how nuclear energy can provide an alternative to gas power and support a future renewables-heavy grid, and […]

A critical question: what should we do with the UK’s plutonium stockpile?

By William Bodel Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering Posted: August 30, 2023

The UK is currently storing around 140 tonnes of plutonium, mostly arising from its civil nuclear programme over the past 60 years. What should we, as a nation, do with it? Should we use it as fuel for future reactors, or dispose of it as waste? The latest position paper from the Dalton Nuclear Institute […]

The Energy Security Strategy: Going nuclear

By Francis Livens Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: April 7, 2022

The government has today announced plans to build eight new nuclear reactors in the UK, alongside strategies to boost wind, hydrogen, and solar production. These new reactors are intended to improve the UK’s energy self-sufficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as creating thousands of new jobs. In this blog, Professor Francis Livens of […]

Building nuclear for a greener future

By William Bodel, Gregg Butler, Juan Matthews, Francis Livens and Adrian Bull Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering Posted: March 7, 2022

The UK’s ambition to achieve net zero by 2050 is an enormous undertaking, and many acknowledge that achieving such a goal requires an increase in nuclear energy capacity and therefore an increase in the number of nuclear sites across the UK. In this blog, colleagues from the Dalton Nuclear Institute; William Bodel, Adrian Bull, Gregg […]

Advanced nuclear energy for Net Zero: A strategy for action

By Francis Livens Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: June 15, 2021

The UK has committed to a net zero 2050 target, but what place does nuclear energy have in meeting this ambition? In this blog, Professor Francis Livens from the Dalton Nuclear Institute outlines the recommendations of a new roadmap for the UK’s nuclear sector, including its role in hydrogen production, and what steps are needed […]

Decarbonising heating: flying by the heat of our pants?

By Laurence Stamford Filed Under: Cities and Environment, Energy and Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: April 26, 2021

The 26th UN Climate Change Conference – COP26 – is on the horizon, due to kick off in Glasgow on 1 November. It seems that, despite the socio-economic worries brought on by a global pandemic, heightened societal attention to climate change is here to stay. Now, more than ever, climate change is at the forefront […]

The hydrogen economy: why is the sub-surface essential?

By Kevin Taylor Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: February 18, 2021

The UK Government has made a commitment to deliver a hydrogen economy as a means to decarbonise heating and heavy transport. This was most recently highlighted in the Government’s “Ten-point plan for a green industrial revolution” and the recent Energy White Paper “Powering our net zero future”. In this blog, Professor Kevin Taylor, from the […]

The 2020 Energy White Paper- Is nuclear power back?

By Francis Livens Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: December 15, 2020

The long-awaited Energy White Paper, Powering Our Net Zero Future, sets out an ambitious pathway to decarbonisation of the UK. It maps out many possible scenarios, with nuclear energy ranging from an irrelevance to a major contributor. Here, Professor Francis Livens from the Dalton Nuclear Institute, looks at what needs to happen in order for […]

Nuclear powered decarbonisation?

By William Bodel, Gregg Butler, Francis Livens, Juan Matthews and Richard Taylor Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: September 14, 2020

At the moment, Net Zero permeates Government policies and programmes, but the true scale of the challenge it represents is only now beginning to become clear. Could nuclear power play a role or is it a costly distraction? Here, Will Bodel, Gregg Butler, Francis Livens, Juan Matthews and Richard Taylor from the Dalton Nuclear Institute […]