Nuclear Reactor meaning

In this issue: Key developments and materials Electricity and gas market regulation, licensing and taxation Renewable energy Capacity Market, balancing services and energy system flexibility Hydrogen, CCUS and emerging technologies Nuclear energy Planning issues in energy projects Air emissions, efficiency, and climate change New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Energy resources on Lexis+® Daily and weekly news alerts Key developments and materials DESNZ announces accelerated measures to boost UK energy security DESNZ has unveiled a suite of actions to reinforce and speed up the UK’s energy security in light of events in the Middle East. For the first time, ‘plug-in solar’ will be permitted in the UK. The department plans to advance the next annual renewables auction to July 2026 and has confirmed that the government will adopt the Fingleton Review’s recommendations to hasten delivery of nuclear power stations. It has also moved to safeguard consumers, working...

What are the key proposals in the consultation? Novel nuclear technologies—small and advanced modular reactors EN-7 will be the first national planning policy crafted specifically to cater for, and govern, nuclear generation beyond conventional gigawatt-scale stations. In particular, EN-7 will extend to small modular reactors (SMRs) and advanced modular reactors (AMRs). SMRs are compact iterations of established light water reactor designs, whereas AMRs are distinguished by innovative fuels and alternative cooling methods. This represents a significant break from earlier policy and is meant to enable nuclear schemes to be delivered in settings and for uses where large fission plants are ill-suited... A new approach to locating nuclear generation The existing NPS for nuclear generation (EN-6) named eight sites regarded as potentially appropriate for gigawatt-scale nuclear developments, at which promoters could seek consent to build a station. Those sites were chosen following the government’s extensive strategic site assessment over three years prior to EN-6 being designated in 2011. EN-7 will signify a pronounced shift away from this...

In this issue: Electricity and gas market regulation and licensing Renewable energy Capacity Market, balancing services and energy system flexibility Nuclear energy Air emissions, efficiency, and climate change International energy New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Key developments and materials Daily and weekly news alerts Electricity and gas market regulation and licensing Ofgem opens consultation on ED3 price control methodology for electricity distribution Ofgem has opened a consultation on the approach to the third electricity distribution price control (ED3). The regime will govern Great Britain’s distribution networks from 1 April 2028 to 31 March 2033. Building on the ED3 Framework Decision, the proposals define methods for cost evaluation, financing and climate resilience across the five-year control period. The consultation runs until 3 December 2025. See: LNB News 08/10/2025 34...

What is the requirement for a nuclear site licence? A nuclear site licence is mandated by the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 (NuIA 1965) for the use of any site to install or run: a nuclear reactor (excluding one forming part of a means of transport by land, water or air, such as a nuclear-powered submarine) a nuclear installation intended or modified to: produce or use atomic energy perform a process, capable of emitting ionising radiation, connected to the production or use of atomic energy store, treat or dispose of nuclear fuel, or bulk quantities of material irradiated by the production or use of nuclear fuel a nuclear installation specified by the Nuclear Installations Regulations 1971 (SI 1971/381), for example an installation intended or modified to carry out processes using enriched uranium and the production of isotopes and nuclear fuel elements The Energy Act 2023 (EnA 2023) amended section 1...

What is nuclear energy? Nuclear energy is the power released from the core of an atom (the ‘nucleus’). It can be produced in two ways: Fission — the split of a large atom into smaller atoms; Fusion — the joining of lighter atoms to create heavier atoms. Nuclear (fission) power plants split uranium atoms inside a reactor through fission. The heat generated produces steam, which turns a turbine to generate electricity. While fission is currently used commercially to produce energy, nuclear fusion is not yet commercially viable. See: What is the future of nuclear power generation in the UK? below. Various countries around the world are increasingly turning to nuclear energy to satisfy the rising need for clean energy and to strengthen their energy security. What is the nuclear fuel cycle? The set of industrial processes that results in electricity from nuclear reactions is known as the nuclear fuel cycle. It starts with the mining of uranium (or other ores...