Overseas events

Nuclear sector opportunities

The civil nuclear power sector has a growing pipeline of projects across the entire value chain, from nuclear new build to decommissioning, and from maintenance and upgrades to new technologies such as small modular reactors (SMRs).

New build is firmly underway at Hinkley Point C in the UK with 64% of the project

value to be spent in the UK supply chain, and follow-up projects at Sizewell and

Bradwell moving forward through the planning phases. Elsewhere, the global nature of nuclear is evidenced by the broad range of countries developing projects.

Camilla Tew

New build proposals are advancing in Bulgaria, Finland and Egypt, while countries currently engaged in the construction of reactors include Bangladesh, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

Meanwhile, the decommissioning sector is thriving as plants are taken offline creating a burgeoning market for decommissioning skills and technologies. Europe is set to become the largest market in the world by the mid-2020s worth an estimated £60bn with dismantling projects set to get underway in Belgium, Germany, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland over the next decade.

The changing energy market has also seen the emergence of new technologies in the form of SMRs. It is hoped that these will drive down the cost of nuclear construction, as well proving quicker and simpler to build, significantly enhancing the business case for new nuclear. Moreover, it is predicted that the current export market for SMRs is worth an estimated £250bn.

Now is the time to ensure UK companies from across all the energy sectors are making the most of UK and global opportunities.

Forthcoming events

Civil Nuclear Showcase 3-4 March 2020 London The Department for International Trade will be organising a Civil Nuclear Showcase, offering the opportunity to meet, network and discuss the latest developments with senior delegations from the international nuclear industry. For more information visit: https://www.events.great.gov.uk/ehome/cns2020/about/

World Nuclear Exhibition (WNE 2020) 23-25 June 2020 Paris Connect to the world nuclear industry at WNE, the first platform dedicated to the global civil nuclear community! The EIC, along with the support of DIT and NIA, is organising a UK pavilion at World Nuclear Exhibition, providing the opportunity for the UK’s supply chain to showcase its expertise and innovations in operation, maintenance, new build, fuel cycle, digitalisation and decommissioning to a global audience.

Hinkley Point C