Memorandum submitted by The Dalton Nuclear
Institute at The University of Manchester
The Dalton Nuclear Institute at The University
of Manchester welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Environmental
Audit Committee's Inquiry, Keeping the Lights on: Nuclear, Renewables,
and Climate Change. The Institute is the focal point for the University's
nuclear research and education programmes and is playing a leading
role in UK academia in addressing the future skills shortages
faced by the nuclear industry. The following memorandum highlights
the Institute's concerns and opinions in the context of the inquiry.
1. INTRODUCTION
The Dalton Nuclear Institute at The University
of Manchester believes that both nuclear and renewables have a
role to play as part of a balanced, low carbon energy mix.
Whilst we will leave the detailed justification
for a nuclear renaissance to others we believe nuclear power to
be the only large scale carbon free generating alternative that
will be financially competitive in the liberalised energy market.
Advances in design and construction techniques have given confidence
that plants can be delivered on time and to budget and waste related
obstacles are political rather than technical with long term waste
solutions being delivered in other countries.
However, the current policy of keeping the nuclear
option open gives uncertainty for the future which concerns both
industry and investors alike. This uncertainty is reflected in
the decline in the UK's nuclear skills base, a skills base that
would be called upon to select, license and operate a new fleet
of nuclear power stations should the opportunity arise.
When considering options for investment in meeting
future energy requirements it is essential that the associated
skills base is considered, regardless of the technology. In the
context of nuclear this means investing not only to maintain the
skills to allow the nuclear option to be opened but also to undertake
research to develop innovative waste management solutions and
next generation reactors.
2. CURRENT STATE
OF UK NUCLEAR
SKILLS BASE
The uncertain future for the nuclear industry
has resulted in a reduction in investment in research and education.
Using nuclear fission as an example, research funding has fallen
from around £500 million in 1974 (at year 2000 monetary values)
to close to zero today. This has resulted in key centres of national
expertise in industry, government and academia being closed, which
in turn has led to a declining number of research staff, new graduates
and up-to-date facilities being available.
Industry projections, backed up by Government
and independent reports, indicate that the skills base has reached
such a low level that it threatens the UK's ability not only to
re-open the nuclear option, but also to deliver on the legacy
requirements for decommissioning and clean-up. For example the
Council for Science and Technology, in a recent report, highlighted
the need for new investment in the UK nuclear R&D and skills
base in order to sustain the UK's nuclear industry ("An Electricity
Supply Strategy for the UK", May 2005).
If the nuclear option is to be kept open investment
in nuclear research and education must be increased from its existing
levels to ensure we have the necessary skills, capability and
infrastructure should we decide to deploy.
3. REQUIREMENTS
The Dalton Nuclear Institute is taking steps
to address the decline in the UK's nuclear skills base. The Institute
pulls together Manchester University's well established nuclear
research centres to pool resources and address broader research
challenges. Additionally the University is self investing to establish
new nuclear research centres to allow us to undertake research
programmes across the broad spectrum of the nuclear field. However,
the Institute alone cannot address the problem, it must be supported
by Government and industry investment in research programmes to
grow and sustain the skills base while re-establishing the UK's
position as a major nuclear player. Unless this happens the skills
base will continue to decline and the nuclear option will be closed.
The UK's nuclear industry and academia require
a clear and positive direction on the role of nuclear power in
the future energy portfolio. This should be supported by a research
programme of sufficient size to attract the high calibre engineers
and scientists in to the sector to secure and grow the skills
base.
In July 2003 an independent nuclear task force
were commissioned to undertake a study titled "An Essential
Programme to Underpin Government Policy on Nuclear Power".
The task force identified the research programme that would be
required to secure the skills base to keep the nuclear option
open. The report concluded that investment of £20 million
per year in nuclear research is required to support existing operations,
keep the nuclear option open, keep us abreast of new technologies
and manage the nuclear waste legacy. Since the report was published
there has been little or no increase in investment and consequently
the UK skills base remains in a perilous condition.
4. SUMMARY
The Dalton Nuclear Institute believes that nuclear
power has a role to play as part of the UK's future low carbon
energy mix. However, the Institute is concerned that the lack
of investment to maintain the UK's nuclear skills base may close
the nuclear option before an energy policy decision can be taken.
To avoid this scenario the Institute recommends that increased
investment in nuclear research should take place to maintain the
skills base and allow the nuclear option to be re-opened in the
future.
22 September 2005
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