Prof. Bruno Merk, University of Liverpool

Host: Greg Cartland-Glover, Engineering and Environment, SCD

Friday 21st May at 11:00-12:00

​iMAGINE – a Nuclear System Operating on Spent Nuclear Fuel without Reprocessing

The UN development goal 7 (access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all) drives any kind of energy research. Globally, there is a strong and urgent demand for reliable technologies to fulfil declared low-carbon strategies, like the UK governments net-zero emissions law. Nuclear reactors are one of the most attractive candidates for reliable, 24/7 available, low-carbon electricity production. However, current reactors and their related fuel cycles suffer from unreasonably high cost, a lack of sustainability, and a significant waste problem due to the absence of recycling.

iMAGINE – a Nuclear System Operating on Spent Nuclear Fuel without Reprocessing, is a potential game-changer technology to achieve a more sustainable (economically as well as ecologically) nuclear system (reactor with associated fuel cycle). However, to turn this highly sustainable vision into a real product, massive inter-disciplinary research will be required to link reactor design to physics, engineering and especially chemistry.

The seminar will give an overview on the strategic background for the demand of a disruptive development of a new nuclear energy system, the basis for an interdisciplinary development, and the expected advantages of the technology. Key development demands in the different disciplines will be highlighted. A proposed research and development strategy concerning the required experimental facilities and the essential skills-based development will be given.