nuclear

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 […]

How can “Great British Nuclear” make a great difference?

By Adrian Bull Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: March 31, 2023

The announcement of Great British Nuclear (GBN) is a long awaited positive step. GBN clearly now faces a monumental workload and a range of challenges as it sets the ground for new nuclear build in the UK. In this article, Professor Adrian Bull emphasises the need to engage with development companies rather than just ‘starting […]

Location, location, location: finding sites for nuclear power plants

By Adrian Bull Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: March 13, 2023

Expanding nuclear power should be a key priority as the government aims to cut its carbon emissions. However, finding suitable sites to accommodate the proposed plants raises new questions. In this article, based on the Dalton Nuclear Institute’s position paper, Siting implications of nuclear energy, Professor Adrian Bull gives his view on how policymakers can […]

A nuclear society: rebuilding perceptions of nuclear energy

By Adrian Bull Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: February 1, 2023

The nuclear industry has historically had a fairly tumultuous relationship with wider society. Early perceptions of nuclear energy were generally positive, with it viewed as a beacon of how technology went hand in hand with increasing prosperity. However, a history of highly-publicised leaks, discharges and assorted incidents have created a legacy of societal mistrust of […]

Nuclear power – the role of government

By Adrian Bull and William Bodel Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Energy and Environment, Science and Technology Posted: August 5, 2022

In 2006, Prime Minister Tony Blair assured Britain that nuclear was “back on the agenda with a vengeance”. Boris Johnson has described his commitment to deliver nuclear at “warp speed”, and the three intervening Prime Ministers have also emphasised their support for nuclear. Yet Britain’s first new nuclear plant – Hinkley Point C (HPC) – […]

The skills gap for long term nuclear future

By Aneeqa Khan Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: July 22, 2022

The world’s climate and energy crises continues to worsen with extreme weather, heatwaves and increasing global energy prices. The IEA’s net zero by 2050 pathway has identified the need for nuclear, including SMRs growing support for this in the UK, Canada, France and the US. In this blog, Aneeqa Khan discusses the steps needed to […]

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 […]

Can we use autonomous robotic systems in hazardous environments?

By Michael Fisher, Louise Dennis and Matt Luckcuck Filed Under: All posts, Digital Futures, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted: March 1, 2022

Autonomous systems are becoming increasingly commonplace across all facets of modern life, including hazardous environments, where the choices made by machines have the potential to cause harm or injury to humans. But how well do we understand the decision-making process of artificial intelligence, and how does this affect trust in autonomous systems? In this blog, Professor […]