EDF has signed a new membership agreement with the Nuclear AMRC to drive innovation in low carbon power generation and support UK manufacturers.
EDF, the UK’s largest non-carbon electricity producer, has helped develop the Nuclear AMRC for the past decade, and the new Tier 1 membership strengthens and deepens the relationship between the two organizations.
With state-of-the-art facilities in the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Center (Nuclear AMRC) is a joint industry initiative and part of the UK High Value Manufacturing Catapult that aims to help build and improve the UK’s civilian nuclear new build industry .
The collaboration will focus on research and development to achieve the UK’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050 and the Nuclear Sector Deal’s goal of reducing the cost of building new nuclear facilities by 30%.
“With COP26 being held in the UK later this year, climate change and reducing our CO2 emissions are at the forefront of the social and political agenda,” says Dr. Ionel Nistor, Head of Nuclear Research and Development at EDF. “Nuclear is critical to the successful decarbonization of our electricity system as it is a reliable, low carbon source that can support an increase in renewables in our energy mix. We look forward to expanding our collaboration with the Nuclear AMRC to ensure the sector continues to innovate and support our efforts towards a Net Zero Britain. “
EDF and the Nuclear AMRC will collaborate in areas of technology – including digital twin development, modularization, and process modeling and simulation – that can reduce costs and improve the quality and safety of the construction and operation of nuclear power plants.
“This long-term agreement with EDF enables us to work together more strategically than before,” said Sean Murphy, Strategic Relationship Manager for Nuclear AMRC. “We believe that having access to our research and engineering expertise, as well as the broader Nuclear AMRC research network, will be of great benefit to EDF. Similarly, EDF’s extensive industry and R&D knowledge will be extremely valuable to our mission to help UK manufacturers get jobs in the nuclear sector. “
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The two organizations will also work together to increase the competitiveness and productivity of the UK nuclear supply chain and develop strong regional supply chains for Hinkley Point and Sizewell. EDF will continue to support the Nuclear AMRC’s supplier development initiatives, including the Fit For Nuclear (F4N) program, which helps manufacturers meet the needs of nuclear customers.
Many F4N granted companies across the UK have already won significant work packages at Hinkley Point C, including Vessco Engineering (based in South Wales), Capula (Staffordshire), Exyte Hargreaves (Lancashire) and Hardstaff Barriers (Nottingham).
“As part of our community of more than 150 member and F4N companies, EDF can help develop and support deeper collaborations and partnerships in the supply chain,” says Murphy. “Together we can maximize the opportunities for hundreds of UK manufacturers, including many SMEs, to build new low-carbon power plants at Hinkley Point and Sizewell.”
EDF is one of the UK’s largest energy companies and the UK’s largest producer of low carbon electricity. The company operates eight nuclear power plants across the UK and is building the new Hinkley Point C plant in Somerset.
Hinkley Point C is based on two Framatome EPR reactors producing 3.2 GW of electricity and will produce around seven percent of UK electricity by the middle of this decade. EDF is also currently in formal talks with the government to build two more EPRs at Sizewell C in Suffolk.
As a member of the first tier, EDF will have a seat on the Nuclear AMRC’s Program and Research Committee to ensure that the centre’s activities meet industry requirements. The collaboration will also consider work to support the life extension and eventual decommissioning of EDF’s current fleet of advanced gas-cooled reactors.
Nuclear AMRC website
Images: EDF
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