ENLIGHT: next-generation nuclear energy
Image kindly provided by JAEA
A new £13M nuclear programme to boost UK energy security through sustainable graphite innovation
Professor James Marrow is part of a collaborative group, led by the University of Manchester, who have secured a major grant to lead a new programme that will transform the lifecycle of graphite in nuclear energy - an essential material for the future deployment of nuclear power.
The award brings together world-leading expertise led by Manchester, and involves Oxford Materials, Oxford Engineering and the universities of Plymouth and Loughborough. Nuclear energy is expected to play a central role in the UK's net zero goals as it emits nearly zero carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gas emissions - but it comes with challenges.
"I'm delighted to be leading Theme 2 (Graphite Selection & Design - Designing new graphite materials engineered to withstand extreme conditions in AMR environments) in this major project. Materials will contribute to several work packages across the whole activity, and our initial focus will be on novel studies of mechanical damage to support the design and qualification of new nuclear graphites for advanced fission reactors".
Professor James Marrow, James Martin Professor of Energy Materials
The five-year ENLIGHT programme (Enabling a Lifecycle Approach to Graphite for Advanced Modular Reactors) will develop critical technologies to support the deployment of next-generation nuclear energy technology and will address two of the UK's most pressing nuclear challenges: securing a sustainable, sovereign supply of nuclear graphite, and finding solutions to mange the country's growing volume of irradiated graphite waste. The project is supported by a £8.2M grant from UK Research and Innovation's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) with around £5M of contributions from industry partners.
The programme of of research, collaboration and skills development aims to secure the UK's position at the forefront of nuclear innovation and as a global leader in advanced reactor technology and clean energy innovation.
"Nuclear graphite plays a vital role in the safety and efficiency of advanced reactors, yet the UK currently relies on overseas suppliers for this material. ENLIGHT will lay the foundation to re-establish a UK-based graphite supply chain while developing sustainable solutions to recycle and reuse irradiated graphite - transforming a growing waste stream into a valuable resource. This programme will reduce waste, strengthen energy security, and support the country's net zero ambitions"'.
Professor Abbie Jones, Principle Investigator
Graphite is a critical component in many next-generation Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs), including High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors and various Molten Salt Reactor designs - technologies key to achieving the UK's ambition to deliver 24GW of new nuclear power by 2050. The material accounts for approximately one-third of reactor build costs, yet despite its importance, the UK currently relies entirely on imports to meet demand. With the existing Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor fleet approaching decommissioning by 2028, and more than 100,000 tonnes of irradiated graphite already in storage, ENLIGHT will pioneer new approaches to both recycling legacy material and producing new, sustainable high-performance graphite suitable for future AMRs.
"The Environment Agency looks forward to participating as a partner in the ENLIGHT programme. As the environmental regulator for the nuclear industry in England, we consider the ambitions of the ENLIGHT programme on 'sustainable graphite' aligns with our Regulatory and RD&I areas of interest".
Dr Greg Black, Senior Advisor at the Environment Agency
The programme will focus on three strands of work:
- Sustainable graphite: developing processes for decontaminating, recycling and re-using irradiated graphite from AMR deployment;
- Graphite selection and design: designing new graphite materials engineered to withstand extreme conditions in AMR environments; and
- Graphite performance: understanding how these new materials behave in novel AMR conditions to improve its lifespan.
These advances could save the UK up to £2Bn in future waste management costs, and offer a pathway to strengthen the UK's unique position as a global hub for graphite research and innovation. ENLIGHT will also focus on skills development to expand the national graphite research community and train the next generation of graphite scientists and engineers essential to the UK's clean energy future.
