UK becomes the first in Europe to invest in next-generation nuclear fuel

Britain will build Europe's first advanced nuclear fuel facility to create hundreds of jobs to cut Putin's Russia off from global markets and improve energy security at home and abroad. Power plant supports and promotes 400 high-skilled jobs Cheshire has announced a competition for a contract worth up to $600 million to build the world's first commercially viable nuclear fusion power plant prototype.

Britain would become the first European country to produce advanced nuclear fuel, a market currently dominated by Russia, to help fuel nuclear power plants at home and abroad. This is part of the government's plan to drive Putin out of global energy markets and lower energy bills.

The UK is set to build Europe's first facility to power future nuclear reactors. This will isolate Russia from global energy markets, strengthen the UK’s energy security and provide reliable and affordable energy.

The government is giving Urenco $196 million to build a uranium enrichment facility. This will allow the fuel to be produced and exported or used domestically by 2031 and to power UK homes within the next decade. This would end Russia's dominance as the sole commercial producer of highly assayed, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) and ensure that other countries are not dependent on Russian exports.

The new facility will support approximately 400 highly skilled jobs, helping to strengthen local supply chains and grow the economy. Located in Capenhurst, Cheshire, the facility will cement the North West of England's position as a world leader in nuclear fuel production. This builds on the Prime Minister's national commitment to secure the future of the UK's thriving nuclear industry by investing at least $763 million in skills, jobs and training.

In the two years since President Putin illegally invaded Ukraine, Britain has taken the lead in cracking down on Russian oil and gas imports. Now the UK is working with its nuclear allies to create a secure global uranium supply chain free of Russian influence.

The UK is also leading the development of fusion energy. Engineering and construction companies will be invited to bid for up to $600 million to build the first commercially viable fusion prototype power plant at a former coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire. Nuclear fusion could generate an almost unlimited source of clean power, ensuring the UK's long-term energy independence.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said:

Building our own uranium enrichment plant is essential if we are to keep Putin's blood-soaked hands off European energy markets.

Russia has been the sole supplier of this powerful nuclear fuel for too long, and this is the latest step in pushing Russia out of the energy market entirely.

The wider future of UK nuclear power remains an important national commitment to ensuring nuclear and energy security and reducing energy costs for Britons.

Claire Coutinho, Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, said:

We stood up to President Putin on oil and gas, and we will not let him hold us to ransom for nuclear fuel.

Supporting Urenco to build a uranium enrichment plant here in the UK means we will become the first European country outside of Russia to produce advanced nuclear fuel.

It will support hundreds of new jobs, bring investment for the people of Cheshire and is a huge win for energy security at home and abroad.

HALEU is needed to power the most advanced modular reactors, which are critical to meeting the UK's ambition to quadruple its nuclear capacity by 2050 in its largest expansion in 70 years. Like small modular reactors, they can be manufactured in factories and could transform the way power plants are built by speeding up construction and reducing costs.

These advanced reactors are more efficient and use new fuels, coolants and technologies to produce low-carbon electricity. The high heat output means it could also be used to decarbonise industry, produce hydrogen for transport, or even produce heat for domestic use.

Meanwhile, the UK is the first country in the world to enact legislation to regulate commercial nuclear fusion, giving companies confidence they can invest here. The new, simpler planning measures will provide certainty to the industry and strengthen the UK as a competitive place for businesses to invest, putting the country at the forefront of technology before it is ready to be deployed.

A consultation launched today proposes designating all fusion power plants as nationally significant infrastructure projects, which will be assessed by the Planning Inspectorate and ultimately determined by the Secretary of State for Energy.

Nuclear fusion power generates nearly 4 million times more energy per kilogram of fuel than burning coal, oil or gas. Investing in future fusion technologies will help create jobs, grow the economy and strengthen the country's energy security, benefiting future generations and helping the UK connect fusion energy to the grid by the 2040s. We will provide a clean energy system that will bring us closer together. .

Separately, investment in advanced nuclear fuel would open up the market for advanced nuclear reactors and help Britain's allies build their own nuclear capabilities rather than relying on Russia to strengthen Western energy security.

The Urencos facility will have the capacity to produce up to 10 tonnes of HALEU per year by 2031. When built from fuel, 10 tons of HALEU can contain the energy of more than 1 million tons of coal.

This funding is part of the 300 million HALEU program announced in January this year. Urenco, part-owned by the British government and known for its nuclear enrichment services, will co-finance the facility.

The program builds on commitments made at COP28, where the G7 nuclear powers, or Sapporo Five (Canada, Japan, France, the United Kingdom and the United States) pledged to increase uranium production. They are responsible for 50% of the world's nuclear fuel conversion and enrichment capacity. .

Boris Schucht, CEO of Urenco, said:

The responsibility of the nuclear industry to help governments and customers achieve their climate change and energy security goals is clear.

We welcome this government investment, which will help accelerate the development of the private HALEU commercial market and, in turn, accelerate the development of the next generation of nuclear power plants. These plants will have much higher safety standards and offer faster permitting and construction processes.

Urenco has the knowledge and experience to play a leading role in the production of HALEU and other advanced fuels while operating safely and in accordance with intergovernmental treaties to ensure the peaceful use and protection of nuclear technology.

Paul Methven, CEO of UK Industrial Fusion Solutions, which supplies STEP (spherical tokamak for energy production), said:

We are looking forward to a very important milestone for STEP in the next two weeks as we begin the search for industrial partners in the engineering and construction sectors to participate in the design and delivery of the STEP prototype factory in West Burton. This will show that fusion energy can work, and through such efforts we will develop an industry that can deliver commercial fusion for decades.

The launch of a formal consultation on a national policy statement on fusion energy is very welcome and an important milestone on the journey towards new energy sources being deployed in the right way. It reflects the UK's proactive leadership in fusion energy, bringing communities and the public together and providing the critical enablers needed for any fusion development.

Zara Hodgson, Director of the Dalton Institute, said:

This is the largest single investment in the UK’s nuclear fuel production capacity in decades and is particularly welcome as it will accelerate the delivery of next-generation fuels essential for this new net-zero nuclear era.

Urenco Capenhursts' HALEU enrichment capacity will go a long way to unlocking the viability of advanced nuclear projects, opening the door to sustainable electricity and heat for the UK and overseas nuclear industry.

North West England is home to the UK's fuel production capacity and Dalton Nuclear Research Institute celebrates the partnership between HMG and Urenco, which will be a catalyst for nuclear technology here and across the UK supply chain.

Now we are exploring how we can support this important project through education and innovation.

Tom Greatrex, CEO of the Nuclear Industry Association, said:

This investment will enable the UK to fuel advanced nuclear reactors around the world and build on existing capabilities to strengthen the energy security of our allies while reducing our dependence on Russia.

Urenco in Capenhurst is at the forefront of UK capabilities and this new facility brings supply chain, new jobs and investment opportunities to the North West of England.

Editor's Note

The remaining funds will be allocated later this year to support enrichment and reverse conversion functions to convert them into a form that can be made into fuel, and research, regulation and transportation functions for these innovative nuclear fuels.

STEP procurement begins May 22.

Funding for HALEU is subject to final approval.

Discussion: Nuclear fusion energy facility: new national policy statement and site site proposal

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