03
April
2013
|
01:00
Europe/London

Multimillion pound boost for nuclear research

The University of Manchester’s Dalton Nuclear Institute has won funding worth £6.5million for seven new research projects, the Government has announced.

The funding – announced by Business Secretary Vince Cable as part of the new UK nuclear industrial strategy – will be used to develop new technologies for the construction, operation and decommissioning of nuclear power stations.

Thirty-six projects for research into new nuclear technologies, worth £31 million in total, were awarded across the UK. Of the seven Dalton Nuclear Institute awards, four were large-scale research and development (R&D) projects and three were knowledge transfer partnerships (KTPs), worth £6 million and £500,000 respectively in total, including industry contributions. 

Professor Andrew Sherry, Director of the Dalton Nuclear Institute said: “We are delighted by the announcements and are looking forward to working collaboratively with our nuclear industry partners on the development of innovative technologies which will have a real impact for the UK in current operations of the existing reactor fleet,  decommissioning and waste management.”

The KTPs awarded to the University’s Dalton Nuclear Institute, in partnership with businesses such as BEP Surface Technology Ltd, Heat Trace and M Wright and Sons Ltd, will enable research to be undertaken on high-level nuclear waste containment, investigations in the mechanical performance of materials used in nuclear power stations and the development of new products for the nuclear industry.

The successful R&D research projects include partnerships with EDF Energy R&D and Bradtec Decon Technologies Ltd to work on research which will contribute to the life-time extension of nuclear power stations to enable them to produce energy for longer to help meet demands and the decommissioning of older reactors.

The projects were funded by the Technology Strategy Board, the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC), the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts added: “The Technology Strategy Board is playing a vital role in making sure innovative small and medium sized enterprises across the UK can bridge the valley of death between the research stage and the market place. These businesses are setting the pace for others to follow and making sure the UK stays at the front of the global race for technology and innovation in the nuclear industry.”

Ends

Notes for editors

The funding announcement was made alongside the publication of the government’s nuclear industrial strategy, which sets out the objectives to develop a strong and sustainable nuclear industry in the UK. The UK’s strong research base will help develop exciting new technologies that can be commercialised in the UK and then exported across the globe, strengthening the country’s economy and supporting job creation.

For further information contact:

Aeron Haworth
Media Relations
Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
The University of Manchester

Tel: 0161 275 8383
Mob: 07717 881563
Email: aeron.haworth@manchester.ac.uk