The Nuclear AMRC is leading two new R&D projects to address fundamental challenges in nuclear manufacturing. The ‘Inform’ and ‘Simple’ projects, backed by government funding of almost £2.5m, will investigate two contrasting approaches to producing large-scale nuclear components.   CTO of the Nuclear AMRC, professor Steve Jones explained: “Both projects aim to provide significant improvements to UK productivity, potentially cutting manufacturing time and cost by half for a variety of large nuclear components.   “By developing innovative approaches to the fundamental challenges of manufacturing, these ... Read more

The shale revolution in north America means the US is destined to become a net oil exporter within 10 years, for the first time since the 1950s. The International Energy Agency said it expected that American oil production between 2010 and 2025 would grow at a rate unparalleled by any country in history, with far-reaching consequences for the US and the world.  The last time the US exported more oil than it imported was 1953, and a ban on oil exports ... Read more

A new study has claimed that a global electricity network powered exclusively by renewables is possible by 2050, and will be cheaper than today’s system.   The report was carried out by Finland’s Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) and the Energy Watch Group (EWG), an international non-profit that includes scientists and politicians. Presenting their results on the sidelines of the COP23 climate conference in Bonn, the researchers said that existing renewables potential, coupled with storage, could meet global demand by the middle of ... Read more