Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
We support the research and development of innovative energy technologies, including advanced modular reactors and next generation fuels
Our contribution
We support the research and development of innovative technologies through our Stable Isotopes facility, which produces isotopes that are vital for medical, industrial and research applications. We are also bolstering the energy industry’s infrastructure by supporting the design and build of an advanced modular reactor, U-Battery, and investing in nuclear new builds through the construction of our Tails Management Facility.
Additionally, our next generation fuels programme at our UK and USA sites (Urenco UK and UUSA) is progressing to enable production of LEU+, low enriched uranium up to 10% uranium-235. LEU+ is a positive initial step towards the subsequent potential production of other advanced fuels for civil nuclear power generation. A project to create an advanced fuels facility has commenced, which will supply research and test reactors, as well as the emerging market to fuel advanced reactors; this includes the fuel requirements for U-Battery.
Nuclear power capacity worldwide is increasing steadily.
The US has made positive steps in securing support for the continued operations of its existing fleet. Elsewhere, in the UK, nuclear power has been placed at the heart of Britain's target to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and in France, in 2021, President Emmanuel Macron announced that the country will start building new nuclear reactors. To learn more about nuclear expansion see our 2021 annual report.