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Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) Feasibility and Development Project

Details of the 2-phase Advanced Modular Reactor Feasibility and Development Project.

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Details

BEIS is investing up to £44 million in the Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) feasibility and development (F&D) project. Advanced Modular Reactor (AMRs), here defined as a broad group of advanced nuclear reactors, differ from conventional reactors, which use pressurised or boiling water for primary cooling. They aim to maximise the amount of off-site factory fabrication and can target:

  • generating low cost electricity
  • increased flexibility in delivering electricity to the grid
  • increased functionality, such as the provision of heat output for domestic or industrial purposes, or facilitating the production of hydrogen
  • alternative applications that may generate additional revenue or economic growth

Phase 1

Phase 1 provided funding of up to £4 million to undertake a series of feasibility studies for AMR designs, with contracts worth up to £300,000.

The following 8 organisations were awarded contracts to produce feasibility studies as part of phase 1 of the AMR F&D project:

  • Advanced Reactor Concepts LLC
  • DBD Limited
  • Blykalla Reaktorer Stockholm AB (LeadCold)
  • Moltex Energy Limited
  • Tokamak Energy Ltd
  • U-Battery Developments Ltd
  • Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation
  • Westinghouse Electric Company UK

Each organisation provided an abstract summarising their proposal (the claims and opinions expressed in the abstracts are those of the applicant organisation and don’t necessarily reflect the official policy or position of BEIS).

Phase 2

Subject to phase 1 demonstrating clear value for money and government approval, a share of up to £40 million was available for selected projects from phase 1 to undertake development activities. A possible further £5 million was also made available to regulators to support this.

The 3 successful projects for Phase 2 were:

  • Tokamak Energy
  • Westinghouse
  • U-Battery

Attached is a brief description of each project.

Updates to this page

Published 5 September 2018
Last updated 10 July 2020 + show all updates
  1. Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) Phase 2 projects announced.

  2. First published.

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