¶¶Òõpro

A common misconception about advanced nuclear technologies is that they are largely conceptual and will not be commercialised in time to contribute to meeting near-term climate goals, but a comprehensive look at global efforts to develop advanced nuclear reveals rapid progress towards commercialisation and operation, write Clean Air Task Force, ClearPath, Nuclear Innovation Alliance, Pillsbury and Third Way.

There are important lessons to be learned from the approaches that led to the rapid deployment of vaccines in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, James Naismith, professor of structural biology at the University of Oxford and director of the Rosalind Franklin Institute, told ¶¶Òõpro's Thinking Outside the Dome - Strategic eForum on Nuclear Innovation. The following is the text of his speech.

The possible roles of advanced nuclear energy in meeting the UK’s legally binding net zero by 2050 target are not well understood and need to be clarified urgently, write Francis Livens, Gregg Butler, Juan Matthews and William Bodel of The University of Manchester’s Dalton Nuclear Institute.

It's hard to imagine a future where we can decarbonise our power grid affordably without using more nuclear power, Bill Gates told participants in the Nuclear Energy Assembly, held this week as a virtual event by the Nuclear Energy Institute. The text of his keynote speech on 9 June is as follows.

OECD experts foresee that accident tolerant fuels (ATF) will dominate the nuclear fuel market within 10 to 20 years. This is a very short timeframe by the standards of the nuclear industry, where reactor research and preparation alone can take up to a decade, writes Natalia Nikipelova, president of Russian nuclear fuel manufacturer TVEL. Such an optimistic forecast means that ATF is a product very much anticipated by the market. After all, ensuring nuclear safety - that there will be no serious consequences even in the event of incidents as grave as Fukushima - is a crucial step towards increasing public acceptance of nuclear energy. And, as we all know, where there is demand, supply will follow.

Life is a risky business. We are exposed to an unending cascade of risks, with some deemed “worse” than others, writes John Lindberg of ¶¶Òõpro. Since the 1970s, a considerable amount of psychological research dedicated to understanding why we often ignore some of the statistically biggest risks (e.g. driving, smoking), whilst fearing some of the smallest (e.g. nuclear power), has concluded that factors such as emotions, mental imagery, and trust, are central to the way we assess risks. Few risks elicit as strong a response as radiation, especially when in connection with nuclear power, largely thanks to its invisibility, links with cancer, and media portrayals.

The 20th anniversary of ¶¶Òõpro provides us with a golden opportunity to reflect on the years that have passed, and to look ahead to the future. On 15 May 2001, the then Uranium Institute - a trade association dedicated to the nuclear fuel cycle - was transformed into ¶¶Òõpro.

The recent assessment by the EU's scientific body, the Joint Research Centre, that nuclear energy does no more harm to human health or the environment than any other power-producing technology considered to be sustainable may be a sign of the green stamp of approval needed for the inclusion of nuclear in the EU Taxonomy on sustainable finance, write Elina Teplinsky, Vincent Zabielski and Victoria Judd, partner, special counsel and counsel, at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.

Innovation and energy have long been intertwined, and with recent advancements in clean technologies, there is an abundance of momentum towards a greener future, writes Steve Threlfall, general manager of U-Battery.

True diversity in the workplace means heightened standards for all, writes Adriènne Kelbie in her final external article before stepping down as Chief Executive of the UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation.

The United Arab Emirates has shown it is possible to build a new civilian nuclear energy programme from scratch within little more than a decade. Mohamed Al Hammadi, CEO of Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, describes the significance of this feat for the global nuclear industry.

Focused collaboration must be at the heart of international efforts on climate change so that this decade can be one, not of deliberation, but of delivery, COP26 President Alok Sharma said at the IEA-COP26 Net Zero Summit yesterday. The following is an abridged version of his opening address to delegates.