Flexible Technology Options: Priorities for Innovation

Systems Management

Tags: demand side, flexibility, intermittent, options, storage

Background

To meet carbon emission targets, the UK’s energy system in the 2020s is likely to have high levels of intermittent generation from wind power, with increasing electrification of heat and transport. However, we need a better understanding of how intermittency can be managed to ensure an efficient transition to a low-carbon economy. A number of flexible options could provide operational flexibility on such a radically different system, including more electrical interconnection, demand side participation, energy storage and flexible thermal generation.

This project considers technical and engineering challenges to delivering flexible options, the business cases for technology deployment, and how further analysis of the energy system should incorporate a wider set of perspectives

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Nuclear Technology RD&D Roadmap

Sources & Vectors

Tags: nuclear, pathways, roadmap, technologies

Following the recommendation in ERP’s Nuclear Fission Report in 2010, a project was set up to consider what such a roadmap might look like. Funded by the EPSRC, ETI and the NDA with support from the National Nuclear Laboratory and the ERP, the Nuclear Technology RD&D Roadmap report provides a strategic outline of the issues that need to be addressed in developing a roadmap for nuclear R&D in the UK.

Background

Considerable effort is being put into opening the way for new nuclear power stations in the UK to replace existing capacity by 2025. However, many energy scenarios for a secure, low carbon energy system indicate that nuclear power may have to play a much greater role by 2050. Delivering such an expanded fleet is not a matter of doing more of the same, but requires a long-term strategic approach focused on ensuring a secure supply of fuel and managing the additional waste arisings as well as maximising opportunities for the UK supply chain.

One of the main recommendations of ERP’s report on Nuclear Fission in September 2010 was the need to develop a long-term strategy for nuclear energy in the UK and to develop a roadmap for the R&D to deliver it. In early 2011 a consortium of the EPSRC, Energy Technologies Institute, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) and ERP came together to consider what such a roadmap might look like.

The project consulted widely with industry, academia, regulators and other key stakeholders. It explored many of the issues that an R&D roadmap should include and we see it as providing a valuable framework for subsequent work.

Conclusions and Recommendations

Published in February 2012 the UK Nuclear Fission Technology Roadmap: Preliminary Report highlights the range of technology pathways that could be deployed, each with significantly differing R&D requirements and opportunities for the development of UK industry and supply chain. Keeping these options open requires investing in R&D many years in advance. Any delays risk closing off options unnecessarily, which might prove costly to rectify in the future.

Drawing on two possible scenarios of how nuclear generation might develop in the UK the report highlights a number of significant issues that need to be addressed in the next five years, not only for the current replacement programme but for any expansion of nuclear capacity. The report recommends:

1. Further detailed assessments are needed to understand the issues identified in the report and to realise the potential opportunities for UK industry.
2. The UK Government needs to develop a clearly defined long-term nuclear energy and industrial strategy and an R&D Roadmap for the nuclear sector.
3. An R&D co-ordinating body should be formed that includes Government, industry, NNL, NDA, regulators, academia and research funders, to own, develop and advise Government on a long-term nuclear R&D strategy and roadmap, in order to underpin realisation of the commercial opportunities and to direct the underpinning programme of R&D, in part through international collaboration.

The NNL was commissioned by the project consortium to undertake and manage the work. The project was overseen by a Steering Group chaired by Dame Sue Ion, ERP member. A full list of Steering Group members and those that were consulted during the project can be found here.

Follow Up Activities

The report helped inform the Government’s Chief Scientific Advisor review of the civil nuclear R&D landscape in the UK, which was published in March 2013. ERP were represented on the Review’s Advisory Board.

Further Information

Please contact Richard Heap in the ERP Analysis Team for further information on this project.

Nuclear Technology Roadmap Steering Group

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The National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) led the development of this Roadmap and report on behalf of the project team consortium (EPSRC, ETI, NDA, NNL and ERP). Input was provided by the Roadmap Steering and Expert Groups. The Expert Group workshops were led and designed by the National Physical Laboratory.

The organisations and individuals involved in the development of this report are listed below:

Steering Group Members

ERP – Dame Sue Ion (Chair)

Cogent – Steve Bennett, Brian Murphy

Dalton Nuclear Institute – Peter Storey

DECC – Rob Arnold, Colin Mitchell

Environment Agency – Colette Grundy, Claire Cailes, Alex Sutherland

EDF Energy – Manus O’Donnell, Regis Nhili

EPSRC – Stephen Kemp

ERP – Richard Heap

ETI – Andrew Haslett

Office for Nuclear Regulation – Anne Robinson

Integrated Decision Management – Gregg Butler, Grace McGlynn

NAMRC – Michael Burke, Stephen Court

NDA – Darrell Morris, Adrian Simper

NIA – Peter Haslam

NNL – Graham Fairhall

Rolls-Royce – Nigel Hart, Richard Swinburn

Expert input from:

Alstom – Kevin Benson

Amec – Richard Sunderland, Mike Smith

Atkins – Richard Neale, Dave Whitmore

Babcock Int’l – Michael Page

Univ of Birmingham – Brian Connolly

Cogent – Clive Smith

Dalton Nuclear Institute – Francis Livens

DECC – Colette Zoil

E.ON – Colin Wignall

EDF Energy – Raj Jassal, Peter Ross, Michael Stott, Niall Riddell

Horizon Nuclear Power – Amanda Macmillan

Office for Nuclear Regulation – Dave Glazbrook

NAMRC – Richard Everett

NDA – Neil Smart

NIA – Chris Savage

NNL – Richard Taylor, Fiona Rayment, Keith Miller, Andy Elsden, Kevin Hesketh, Gordon Bryan, David Ross, Chris Holmes

NPL – Tim Jones, Carlos Huggins

Rolls Royce – Jonathan Wortley

Sellafield Ltd – Peter Wylie, Jeff Hobbs, Rex Strong, John Sidney

Semta – Dawn Vinall, Darren Race

Serco – John Duthie

Univ of Central Lancashire – Geoff Vaughan

Contact Richard Heap from the ERP Analysis Team.

Nuclear Fission

Sources & Vectors

Tags: Energy, nuclear, pathways, research, technology

Nuclear Fission Report

In September 2010 ERP published a report on nuclear fission that took a long-term view of nuclear as an energy source, looking at future fuel cycles, capacity and responsiveness as well as recognising security and proliferation issues.

The subsequent report UK Nuclear Fission Technology Roadmap: Preliminary Report, published in February 2012, identified the issues that a nuclear R&D roadmap should consider.

Background

At the time the proposals for nuclear generation in the UK were for a new build programme of up to 16 GW of capacity by 2025, to replace the current capacity. Over the next decade and a half, all but one of the current reactors will be closed down and decommissioned. Beyond that the UK had not set out any plans for how nuclear power will develop.

Conclusions and Recommendations

The ERP report concluded that a long-term strategy was needed for the development of nuclear power in the UK, combined with a detailed R&D roadmap. The report recommended that this should happen as a matter of urgency to inform decisions about R&D and to avoid the risk of the UK losing its world renowned expertise in reprocessing and recycling technologies. It identified key issues that needed to be considered in developing the roadmap. These included:

1. The long term role of nuclear generation in the UK and the potential need to develop new fuel-cycle and reprocessing technologies.
2. Capitalising on the growing international deployment of nuclear fission: Selling fuel-cycle technologies and services into the international market, developing an industrial base and contributing to the development of key technologies.
3. Defining the UK’s role in non-proliferation debates which will require supporting RD&D to inform positions and support international developments.

The report noted there is a strong business case for a healthy and vibrant research base in the UK that would support the national nuclear programme and provide the necessary skills, but would also provide benefit from exploiting the growing global market.

Follow up activities

Following publication of the ERP report a project was set up in early 2011 to consider what such a roadmap might look like. Funded by the EPSRC, Energy Technologies Institute and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority with support from the National Nuclear Laboratory and the ERP, the report provides a strategic outline of the issues that need to be addressed in developing a roadmap for nuclear research and development in the UK. The project engaged widely with industry, academia and regulators.

The report was published in February 2012.

ERP’s report and some of its Members provided evidence for the House of Lords Inquiry into Nuclear Research and Development Capabilities. Published in November 2011 the report called for a nuclear R&D roadmap.

Since then the Government asked the Government’s Chief Scientific Advisor to lead a review of the current nuclear R&D landscape in the UK. Launched in April 2012 it will report later in the year. ERP are represented on the Review’s Advisory Board.

Steering Group

ERP’s 2010 report was prepared by Richard Heap in the ERP Analysis Team with input from ERP Members and their organisations.

Project chair

• Sue Ion – Royal Academy of Engineering

Steering Group Members

• Doosan Power Systems
• E.ON
• SSE
• DECC
• EPSRC

The views are not the official point of view of any of these organisations or individuals and do not constitute government policy.

Further Information

Further information from Richard Heap in the ERP Analysis Team.

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