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Urenco to lead SMR working group
03 June 2024
Urenco has been appointed chair of a key working group on next generation reactors, as part of a wider European Union alliance.
We have become the first chair of the Technical Working Group on the Fuel Cycle and Waste Management, which we will keep for the next two years.
The working group comes under the newly formed European Industrial Alliance on small modular reactors (SMRs), which was launched by the European Commission to accelerate the development, demonstration and deployment of SMRs and advanced modular reactors (AMRs) in Europe by the early 2030s.
We were appointed at the first General Assembly of the Alliance in Brussels last week, May 29 & 30, where 278 people from across EU Member States gathered.
Members come from industry, research organisations, start-ups, training centres, academia and civil society organisations.
Head of Government Affairs for Urenco, Emilie Isaacs, said: “We look forward to being actively involved in the Alliance, contributing to its goals, and collaborating productively with its members, its secretariat and the other technical working groups.”
As chair, Urenco will be responsible for facilitating exchanges with fuel manufacturers and fuel cycle stakeholders and will concentrate on the opportunities and hurdles linked to the development of new fuel cycles for SMRs/AMRs.
Along with vice-chair, Orano, we will develop a series of practical recommendations and guidelines that will shape development of the nuclear fuel cycle in Europe to achieve the bloc’s nuclear energy ambitions.
The two day General Assembly, which included key note speeches from Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, and Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Iliana Ivanova, was an opportunity to discuss the way forward to support concrete projects and establish the Governing Board and the eight Technical Working Groups.
This was the first official meeting of the Alliance since it was launched by the European Commission in February.
Outlining the objectives and deliverables of the Technical Working Group to the General Assembly, Hidde Baars, Director Government Affairs Netherlands & EU, highlighted that enrichment, de-conversion, fabrication and transportation packages will all need to be licensed and developed on concurrent schedules to avoid gaps in the fuel cycle.
About Urenco
Urenco is an international supplier of enrichment services and fuel cycle products with sustainability at the core of its business. Operating in a pivotal area of the nuclear fuel supply chain for 50 years, Urenco facilitates zero carbon electricity generation for consumers around the world.
With its head office near London, UK, Urenco’s global presence ensures diversity and security of supply for customers through enrichment facilities in Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA. Using centrifuge technology designed and developed by Urenco, and through the expertise of our people, the Urenco Group provides safe, cost effective and reliable services; operating within a framework of high environmental, social and governance standards, complementing international safeguards.
Urenco is committed to continued investment in the responsible management of nuclear materials; innovation activities with clear sustainability benefits, such as nuclear medicine, industrial efficiency and research; and nurturing the next generation of scientists and engineers.
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