The initiative aims to enhance the supply for upcoming nuclear projects while reducing dependence on global energy markets
UK to launch HALEU programme with £300m investment. (Credit: gov.uk/Wikimedia Commons)
The UK government has announced an investment of £300m to launch the high-assay low enriched uranium (HALEU) programme aimed at producing enriched uranium to fuel the next generation of nuclear reactors.
According to the government, the investment will support domestic production of HALEU, which at present is being produced only by Russia on a commercial scale.
The British Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said that the country will be the pioneer in Europe to introduce an advanced HALEU nuclear fuel programme. This initiative aims to enhance the supply for upcoming nuclear projects while reducing dependence on global energy markets, consequently diminishing Vladmir Putin’s influence.
Additionally, the investment is a crucial component of the strategy to achieve up to 24GW of clean and dependable nuclear power by 2050, representing a quarter of Britain’s electricity requirements.
An extra £10m will be allocated to cultivate the expertise and infrastructure for manufacturing various advanced nuclear fuels within the UK, contributing to the assurance of a sustained domestic nuclear fuel supply and offering support to international partners.
This is expected to reinforce the UK’s standing as a global frontrunner in nuclear fuel production, possessing indigenous capabilities in uranium enrichment and fuel fabrication in the North-West of England.
UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Claire Coutinho said: “We stood up to Putin on oil and gas and financial markets, we won’t let him hold us to ransom on nuclear fuel.
“Britain gave the world its first operational nuclear power plant, and now we will be the first nation in Europe outside of Russia to produce advanced nuclear fuel.
“This will be critical for energy security at home and abroad and builds on Britain’s historic competitive advantages.”
The British government, which expects the first small modular reactor plant in the country to begin operations in the early 2030s, said that the funding will boost the nuclear fuel production hub in North West of England. Besides, the investment will support domestic industry and jobs while helping to grow its nuclear revival in the UK and overseas.