Funding grants announced for three ANSIC challenges to explore advanced nuclear technologies

The outcome of the three advanced nuclear technology challenges published by Game Changers as part of the pilot Advanced Nuclear Skills and Innovation Campus (ANSIC) has been announced.

Total funding of £250,000 has been awarded to ten organisations in the first tranche of awards from ANSIC, supported by the Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), to help develop and commercialise advanced nuclear technologies in support of the long-term target of a zero carbon future. The pilot programme is being delivered by the National Nuclear Laboratory, with support from Game Changers, to bring together experts from industry and academia to deliver new technologies to meet the challenges of deep decarbonisation

Feasibility project proposals were sought to address the following three challenges:

• Advancing heat exchangers, energy management and conversion systems for advanced nuclear technologies for all energy end use applications including home heating, shipping, land transport, aviation, agriculture and industry
• Irradiation of material specimens including test specimens and/or the production of medical isotopes in advanced nuclear reactors to enable activities typically carried out in research reactors to be conducted within nuclear reactors without affecting primary reactor operations for power generation
• Digital technologies to support development, deployment, operation and decommissioning of advanced nuclear technologies

The ten successful organisations have each been awarded £25,000. Awards in the heat exchange challenge go to:

EGB Engineering (Southwell, Nottinghamshire), TOffee AM Ltd (London), Teesside University and Bangor University.

Projects receiving awards for the digital technologies challenge are from:

The University of Strathclyde, Metrarc Ltd (Colchester), PixellMill Ltd (Manchester), the University of Liverpool and KANDE International Ltd (Stoke on Trent).

Viridian Consultants Ltd based in Dorking, Surrey will deliver the project for the irradiation of materials specimens in nuclear reactors. All projects will conclude by March 2022.

Frank Allison, CEO of FIS360, which delivers the Game Changers programme in partnership with NNL, said: “It’s both exciting and very promising that as many as ten organisations have reached the exacting standards of our expert selection panels in this first set of new challenges.” 

Dr Paul Howarth, Chief Executive Officer at the National Nuclear Laboratory, said: “I am pleased to see the great response from applicants in relation to these three challenges.

“Advanced Nuclear Technologies (ANTs), have the potential to play a major role delivering net zero, so I am eager to see the results of the feasibility projects when they conclude in March 2022. ANSIC has tremendous potential to utilise nuclear in the delivery of a cleaner, more sustainable future to benefit society.”