The U.K. government seeks to build its first advanced modular reactor (AMR) by the early 2030s as a component of the national low-carbon energy plan to produce heat for industry and zero-carbon hydrogen.

The AMR initiative focuses on high temperature gas reactors (HTGRs) as the preferred technology, as these Generic gas-cooled reactor (prismatic core) with coupled hydrogen production facility. Source: U.K. National Nuclear Laboratory systems have a high technology readiness level and could potentially make a significant contribution to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. With output temperatures of 700° C to 950° C, HTGRs provide for greater versatility in the applications that could be supported to supply to a heat and hydrogen economy.

HTGRs also operate with an open fuel cycle, as with existing nuclear plants in the U.K., and present no significant issues for security, safeguards or additional costs associated with closed fuel cycle infrastructure.

Comments from industry and the public on the proposed reactor research and development program are invited through September 9, 2021.