Ultra Safe gets USD29 million UK grant 

Thursday, 20 July 2023

The award, which was announced alongside the launch of Great British Nuclear on Tuesday, is a matching funds grant through the UK's Advanced Modular Reactor Research, Development and Demonstration programme. The application was submitted by a joint team of USNC and Jacobs, which will support the front-end engineering design programme as a leading subcontractor.

The UK department is seeking to accelerate commercial technology readiness in the advanced nuclear market to support deployment by 2050 - with the aim being for a USNC demonstrator high-temperature gas-cooled reactor by the early 2030s.

Francesco Venneri, CEO of Ultra Safe Nuclear, said: "This is an important next step for deploying Micro-Modular Reactor (MMR) nuclear batteries in the UK and across Europe. The UK has long and unique experience with gas reactor technology the MMR builds on and this is the right team to demonstrate the design’s versatility to meet the world’s market need."

"This high-temperature reactor has the potential to assist the world’s energy transition and take nuclear power into a new era," said Jacobs Energy, Security & Technology Senior Vice President Karen Wiemelt. Jacobs will support the front-end engineering design programme as a leading subcontractor, including reactor analysis, refuelling system, primary and secondary systems, safety systems, associated testing facilities, human factors, safety case and security, licensing and regulation, overall system integration and preparation for delivery of the demonstrator model.

USNC says the MMR is well suited to the UK programme's objectives "including secure, zero-carbon hydrogen production, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), process heat, and electric power. The MMR will work at various power levels by simply changing the way it is operated. At higher power, fuel is consumed faster, much like a battery".

Earlier this year, USNC UK added a number of personnel from the shelved U-Battery project to its team. USNC's main product is a Micro-Modular Reactor, with its UK operation seeking to develop an advanced Micro-Modular Reactor design, describing the MMR-III as being a "high power version ... capable of producing 750°C heat and specifically designed to be utilised in multi-unit 'nuclear battery packs' at industrial sites ... setting it apart from other designs, the use of proprietary Fully Ceramic Micro-encapsulated fuel, helium coolant and the large heat storage unit will deliver unmatched safety, simplicity and flexibility of use, while ensuring the heat generation and heat utilisation systems remain clean in all circumstances, eliminating the nuclear contamination risk for industrial production facilities".

Also announced were a series of grants, totalling GBP157 million (USD205 million), including GBP77.1 million "to accelerate advanced nuclear business development in the UK and support advanced nuclear designs to enter UK regulation, maximising the chance of small and advanced modular reactors being built during the next Parliament". (The next Parliament is expected to run from 2024 to 2029).

In total on Tuesday, UK grants worth GBP58 million for further development and design of advanced modular reactor and next generation fuel were announced - in addition to Ultra Safe's one, there was GBP15 million to the National Nuclear Laboratory in Warrington "to accelerate the design of a high temperature reactor following its success in Japan" and up to GBP16 million to the National Nuclear Laboratory in Preston "to continue to develop sovereign coated particle fuel capability, a type of robust advanced fuel which is suitable for high temperature reactors".

There were also awards under the GBP22.3 million Nuclear Fuel Fund:

• GBP10.5 million to Westinghouse Springfields "to manufacture more innovative types of nuclear fuel for customers both in the UK and overseas"
• GBP9.5 million to Urenco UK in Capenhurst, Chester "to enrich uranium to higher levels, including LEU+ and high-assay low-enriched uranium
• GBP1 million to Nuclear Transport Solutions, part of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, "to develop transport solutions to facilitate a supply chain for highly enriched uranium in the UK and internationally"
• GBP1.2 million to MoltexFLEX "to build and operate rigs for the development of molten salt fuel"