The UK and Welsh governments have appointed the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) to develop an outline design the UK's proposed £40 million national thermal-hydraulic research and testing facility, to be built in north Wales.
Plans for the facility were announced in the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy’s (BEIS's) Nuclear Sector Deal in June 2018. The facility aims to boost the UK’s nuclear new build programme and development of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs).
"Detailed understanding of [thermal hydraulic] processes is vital in designing safe and efficient future power stations, such as those planned for Wylfa Newydd in Anglesey and Hinkley Point C in Somerset, and in ensuring their safe operation throughout the several decades they are expected to generate electricity," a statement said.
The facility, expected to be built at Menai Science Park on Anglesey, could also have wider applications in non-nuclear thermal hydraulic testing.
As well as creating 30 permanent jobs, the proposed thermal-hydraulic facility will include a research centre where up to 50 visiting scientists can carry out computer modelling, data analysis and simulation.
The UKAEA will now work with UK firms to identify how the thermal hydraulics facility can meet their requirements. This information will be used to produce a design with a detailed costing and operational model. The governments will then utilise this to develop business cases for the funding.
A decision on how best to proceed with construction, commissioning and future operation of the new UK thermal-hydrauilc facility is expected in 2019.
Photo: How the new UK thermal-hydraulic research facility might look
