13 Sep (NucNet): The UK government has announced that eight organisations have been awarded contracts to produce feasibility studies as part of the first phase of an advanced small modular reactor feasibility and development project for which £44m of funding is available.
The eight organisations are Advanced Reactor Concepts, DBD Ltd, Blykalla Reaktorer Stockholm AB (LeadCold), Moltex Energy Ltd, Tokamak Energy Ltd, U-Battery Developments Ltd, Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation and Westinghouse Electric Company UK.
The government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is to invest the £44m in advanced reactor units that can generate low-cost electricity, increase flexibility in delivering electricity to the grid and offer increased functionality such as the provision of heat output for domestic or industrial purposes, or facilitating the production of hydrogen.
The advanced reactors might also have alternative applications that would generate additional revenue or economic growth, the government said. It defined advanced modular reactors as reactors that can “maximise the amount of off-site factory fabrication”.
The project has two phases. Phase 1 offers funding of up to £4m per organization for a series of feasibility studies for reactor designs.
Phase 2 would see successful companies from Phase 1 offered a share of up to £40 million for further development, with the possibility of £5m made available to regulators to support this.
