National Nuclear Laboratory

AMR Knowledge Capture

The Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) Knowledge Capture project is a Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ)-sponsored programme supporting the development and deployment of AMRs in the UK.

It is part of the Government’s £385 million Advanced Nuclear Fund and is aligned with the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) which aims to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative clean energy technologies and processes through the 2020s and 2030s.

Throughout the second half of 2023, the partnership of Arup, National Nuclear Laboratory and Bangor University’s Nuclear Futures Institute will work to identify and map the availability of historic nuclear R&D that could support the development and deployment of Advanced Nuclear Technologies (ANTs) as part of a secure, low carbon energy mix.


Background

The UK’s nuclear industry will undergo a significant change over the next decade, with the Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) fleet coming offline and entering decommissioning, initial criticality at Hinkley Point C and the development and deployment of modular reactors. To support these programmes, either by accelerating or reducing cost, it is critical that the UK’s historic nuclear research and development (R&D) legacy is maintained and utilised through knowledge capture and management.

‘Knowledge capture’ is the process of collecting, organising, and storing knowledge created or used across the nuclear sector. It enables any programme to benefit from the effects of ‘learning by doing’, avoiding repeated work, reducing costs, mitigating risks and enhancing decision making.

The findings of the knowledge capture will be shared to deliver most value to UK plc, this could be through de-risking, accelerating deployment timescales or reducing the cost of new technology deployment.

Watch this video to learn more about the AMR Knowledge Capture project, how Arup, NNL, Bangor University are supporting AMR development and deployment in the UK, and how you can get involved in the project.

In this webinar, you’ll discover:

  • The need for nuclear knowledge capture.
  • How we wish to engage with you.
  • How your support and involvement can shape the direction of the project

Aims of the project

The AMR Knowledge Capture project will explore how to facilitate the mapping and sharing of historic UK R&D knowledge across the nuclear industry. By doing so, the project seeks to:

  • Reduce the time, risk, and cost of AMR Research Development and Demonstration (RD&D) programme delivery.
  • Explore how to facilitate further knowledge sharing across the nuclear industry in the area of ANT
  • Provide UK organisations with valuable knowledge to leverage against international funding.

In order to deliver this, the project aims to:

  • Identify relevant resources and conduct knowledge capture activities that can accelerate, de-risk and reduce the cost of AMR RD&D programme delivery. ​
  • Enable access to knowledge, research and data in support of ANT deployment.​
  • Disseminate learning with relevant stakeholders to support decision making. ​
  • Maintain and develop UK capability and knowledge in the ANT field​.
  • Leverage UK innovation and knowledge capture investment against national and international programmes.
Copyright Dounreay

How to get involved

Any organisations or individuals that would like to find out more about the project or would like to take part in the AMR Knowledge Capture project should contact:

AMRKnowledgeCapture@arup.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to questions on the AMR Knowledge Capture project, including background on the project, data storage and security, can be found here.