A £40 MILLION advanced nuclear reactor technology centre is planned for Anglesey

The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has been appointed by the UK and Welsh Governments to develop an outline design for a proposed national thermal hydraulic research and testing facility, at the Menai Science Park.

The island's science park was opened in May by the First Minister Carwyn Jones to promote innovation and business. The new nuclear tech facility was announced in the Department for business, energy and industrial strategy’s ‘Nuclear Sector Deal’ and aims to boost the UK’s nuclear new build programme and development of Small Modular Reactors and Advanced Modular Reactors.

The proposed centre focuses on thermal hydraulics, the movement of heat and fluids in the reactor system during the conversion of nuclear energy into electricity. It could also have wider uses in non-nuclear thermal hydraulic testing.

Outline planning permission has been secured and the facility is expected to create around 30 jobs. It will also see the development of research centre for up to 50 visiting scientists.

UKAEA’s role will be to work with UK companies to identify how their requirements can be met by the thermal hydraulics facility. The information will then be used to produce a design with detailed costing and an operational model, which will enable the UK and Welsh Governments to develop business cases for the funding and decide during 2019 how best to proceed with construction, commissioning and eventual operation.

Colin Walters, Project Director, UKAEA, said: “UKAEA is already working with Government and industry partners on upgrading the UK’s nuclear skills and facilities to compete with the best in the world. This key facility will be another part of the UK’s nuclear renaissance, we are glad to have been chosen to lead it." Companies are asked to contact UKAEA at amanda.brummitt@ukaea.uk