Tennessee opportunities for UK-US nuclear collab in 2024

US-UK partnerships will be key after COP28 Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy

Amid all of the grandstanding, hypocrisy and deal-making, the #COP28 summit in Dubai has been a crucial milestone for the #nuclear sector.

For the first time at a UN climate summit, nuclear energy has been recognised in the final COP deal, calling for the acceleration of “zero and low emission technologies”.

One of the less publicised achievements was a landmark declaration by at least 20 countries, including the US and UK, to triple nuclear power capacity by 2050. This declaration confirms what science has known for a while, that atomic energy has a role to play in decarbonization. Core elements of the declaration include working together to advance nuclear energy capacity globally and inviting shareholders of international financial institutions to encourage the inclusion of nuclear energy in energy lending policies.?

According to the Nuclear Industry Association CEO Tom Greatrex : "This is a major moment for the future of nuclear energy and its role in fighting climate change. The science has long called for all clean energy sources to be utilised in this global effort to drive down emissions and this deal shows that common sense has finally prevailed. What needs to happen now is for nuclear power to be rolled out at scale and at pace to hit net zero, including in the UK, where we are playing a vital role alongside our allies.”

Nuclear innovators from the UK and US contributed to the debate in Dubai. UK-based Oxford Sigma Co-Founder, Thomas P. Davis , spoke on a panel discussion about how their efforts in standardising fusion construction will become key to cross-border roll out of fusion energy for the future.

Other companies in the UK at the leading edge of fusion technology and its applications include: Tokamak Energy First Light Fusion Astral Systems 3-Sci Ltd Alloyed Duality Quantum Photonics Full Matrix Ltd TWI and CALGAVIN Ltd .

The COP28 declaration comes at the end of a year which has seen significant progress in transatlantic cooperation around nuclear energy and one in which the State of Tennessee has set out its world-leading nuclear credentials as the most attractive place in the US for nuclear supply-chain innovators.

In June 2023, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed an executive order that confirmed the state’s leadership role in the nuclear energy sector.

The order establishes the Tennessee Nuclear Energy Advisory Council, a board of politicians and industry experts that will focus on removing barriers and finding opportunities for nuclear energy development in the state. Other initiatives include the Nuclear Fast Track Fund of $50 million to incentivise the nuclear supply-chain and help to attract companies to Tennessee.

"No other state in the country comes close to Tennessee's legacy, resources and potential to be a leader in nuclear energy," said Gov. Bill Lee as he announced his incentive plan for the nuclear industry in May 2023.

Tennessee and the UK Nuclear Partners

Tennessee was the birthplace of nuclear power in the US. Much of the early nuclear research and development in the US took place at Oak Ridge in East Tennessee, near Knoxville, which was the headquarters of the Manhattan Project.

Today, Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a global leader in nuclear research and provides two of the most powerful neutron science facilities in the world.

Tennessee Valley Authority became the first utility in America to get a permit to build small modular nuclear reactors in 2019. TVA operates three nuclear facilities that generate enough clean power for a third of its customers.

The United Kingdom has been a long-term partner for the US nuclear sector for the last 80 years. There are a number of existing transatlantic links and ongoing relationships with partners in Tennessee.

The National Nuclear Laboratory based in Warrington has worked collaboratively with Oak Ridge National Laboratory since signing a Memorandum of Understanding in 2018. The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) signed an MoU with ORNL in March 2022.

The Atlantic Declaration, the economic partnership framework signed by the UK and US governments in June 2023, launched a civil nuclear partnership and established a Joint Standing Committee on Nuclear Energy Cooperation.

In August 2023, the UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority visited Tennessee to share best practice with partners at Oak Ridge around workforce development programs; waste management and disposal operations.

There are a number of academic links between the UK and Tennessee around nuclear research.?

• Lancaster University leads the International Joint Research Centre for the Safety of Nuclear Energy, in collaboration with the University of Tennessee.?
• University of Liverpool partners with both ORNL and University of Tennessee on Nuclear Materials Research.
• University of Manchester’s UKAEA Tritium Science & Technology Chair, Prof. Philip Edmondson, joined in 2022 from his position leading R&D at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee.

The State of Tennessee’s UK representative, Adam Breeze ([email protected] ), based in Manchester close to the centre of Britain’s nuclear cluster, is offering advice and support to UK companies in the nuclear supply-chain considering US expansion.

“We’re building on the many existing links between the UK and Tennessee around nuclear research and with the new incentives on offer, there is no better place to realise the full potential of nuclear innovation than the State of Tennessee,” said Breeze.

Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development

Braden Stover Jesse Smith Callie Cook Karel Noha Abboud Lyndi Berrones Meryl Harris Brad Maul Doug Lawyer, CEcD

#Cop28 #Nuclear #Fusion #COP