Event Details

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), energy from nuclear fission reactors is the second-largest low-carbon power source in the world today, accounting for 10 per cent of global electricity generation.

Despite policy changes in countries like Germany and Belgium, 52 new nuclear reactors are currently being constructed around the globe and new technologies are constantly being developed as plant design shifts to smaller, modular reactors. However, nuclear waste and storage still represents a key issue if nuclear power generation is to increase worldwide. Spent nuclear fuel contains many highly active fission product species that can represent a hazard for, in some cases, hundreds of thousands of years. Currently, two ways exist to dispose of this waste: It can be reprocessed into new nuclear fuel or it can be long term disposed of in a deep underground repository.UTGARD laboratory has operated since 2016 specialising in carrying out research in these two key areas of reprocessing technology and long term disposal. The laboratory offers specialist handling and analytical facilities for open source radioactive materials to both academic and industrial experts. In this 20 minute session I will cover some of the research highlights from UTGARD laboratory since 2016 and discuss the future of the laboratory as we move into the 2020’s.