Publications

Download our latest Annual Report to find out about our latest business update and highlights from the year.

Please note, given the timeframe under which the financial statements and report were prepared and the period they cover, this report contains references to policies under the previous Government which do not represent the policies of the current Government.

This is the UK National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL) annual Earnings to Reinvest report, highlighting significant progress in environmental restoration and nuclear facility clean-up operations during the 2023/24 financial year.

The report showcases how UKNNL's reinvestment of earnings has advanced scientific and technological capabilities in nuclear decommissioning, through collaborative partnerships with key organisations including Sellafield Ltd, and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA).

NNL is committed to using its earnings to reinvest in science and technology to bring benefit to society. Each year, we produce the Public Interest Reinvestment Contributions to Environmental Restoration report, which throws a spotlight on investment into people, skills, science and technology to enhance the already well-established UK capabilities in this area.

The National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) and Sellafield Ltd have a long and proud history of working closely together to achieve our shared ambition of creating a clean and safe environment for future generations. This report is from April 2022 and details our delivery in FY21/22 against objectives set over the previous financial year and outlines NNL's ambitions for the coming year in support of environmental restoration work on the Sellafield site.

This report has been produced as part of the technical services agreement between NNL and Sellafield Ltd. All of the examples used within this report contain support from public interest reinvestment.

This report gives an overview of where we are on our ED&I journey, our progress so far, and how this links to the ongoing work we are doing to further improve. In the 23/24 financial year we achieved NES reaccreditation. The accompanying analysis of our ED&I performance shows we have improved in many areas since the initial accreditation three years ago. We recognise data is essential for our progress, so, over the last financial year we have focused on driving the completion of our internal ED&I data, to allow analysis looking at characteristics beyond gender. From this we have been able to compare our working population to industry average and the UK population, identify measure that have been effective and where we need to focus our efforts going forward.

You can find out more by viewing the online version of the report here or click on the link below to download a pdf version.

Our Gender Pay Gap Report 2023 shows how our ongoing journey towards gender equity at National Nuclear Laboratory is progressing. The data within the report demonstrates how we are attracting, retaining, and advancing women within our workplace. Women made up 32% of NNL employees as of April 2023 and our pay gap is lower than the UK-wide pay gap. In the report we also consider what measures we’ve taken and how effective we’ve found them along our journey to gender parity. 

You can find out more by viewing the online version of the report here or click on the link below to download a pdf version.

Download our latest Annual Report to find out about our latest business update and highligts from the year.

Our Strategic Plan demonstrates strong commitment to our purpose 'Nuclear Science to Benefit Society' and the essential role of promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I). We delivered our strategic vision for technical excellence and social value, and achieved the National Equality Standard (NES) Accreditation at our first attempt in March 2021.

This year's Gender Pay Gap report covers the first year of our work addressing the NES's recommendations and focuses on our progress towards gender parity as this is the purpose of assessing these pay gaps. We accepted and are acting on the recommendations from NES. You can find out more by viewing the online version of the report at https://nnl.foleon.com/nnl/gpgr22/ or click on the link below to download a pdf version.

National Nuclear Laboratory's UK Energy System Modelling: Net Zero 2050 report offers transformative new insights to inform the nation's clean energy transition. In modelling the whole energy system, the report considers the role of nuclear in providing electricity, heat, hydrogen and synthetic fuels.

This modelling was conducted with independent specialists from Energy Systems Catapult and LucidCatalyst. This work was completed through the £46m Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme (AFCP), which NNL leads in partnership with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) as part of the £505m Energy Innovation Programme.

This Strategic Plan sets out how NNL, the UK's national laboratory for nuclear fission, is benefiting society through nuclear science. The best way to view the plan is online via: https://uknnl.com/strategicplan. However, you can also download a pdf by clicking on the link below.

This S&T Agenda sets out how we are investing in scientific research and unleashing innovation. This is fundamental to our work as a national laboratory; allowing us to serve our customers, our partners and our nation better. The best way to view the plan is online via: Cover - Our Science and Technology Agenda. However, you can also download a pdf by clicking on the link below.

This is our fifth year of gender pay gap reporting. Much of the data is now presented in the context of previous years giving a more holistic view as to how we are evolving gender parity over time. We are pleased to see that a number of measures are improving – with, for example, more women in our organisation. We only publish reports digitally and this year’s can be read here: uknnl.com/gpgr2021 or by clicking on the view link button below.

The National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) and Sellafield Ltd have a long and proud history of working closely together to achieve our shared ambition of creating a clean and safe environment for future generations. This report is from April 2021 and details our delivery in FY20/21 against objectives set over the previous financial year and outlines NNL's ambitions for the coming year in support of environmental restoration work on the Sellafield site. 

This report carries out preliminary economic assessments for the potential levelized cost of producing hydrogen from GW scale new build nuclear reactors at multiple financing rates that could be consistent with a Regulated Asset Base (RAB) financing model. Exclusively using BEIS published data as inputs, and remaining consistent with BEIS published economic calculation methods, the costs for nuclear driving PEM, Alkali and solid oxide electrolyers are assessed and are shown to be potentially cost competitive with other forms of low carbon hydrogen production. The work adds to the 2021 Hydrogen Production Costs modelling by BEIS, which did not fully assess the economics of nuclear enabled hydrogen and therefore highlights a potential opportunity for the hydrogen sector to draw on an additional source of low carbon hydrogen.

This cross-sector action plan for consideration by the Nuclear Industry Council looks at how, using currently available technologies, we can unlock the UK's nuclear hydrogen economy to support net zero.

Download our latest Annual Report to find out about our latest business update and highligts from the year.

At NNL we are fully committed to all aspects of equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I). I am therefore delighted to introduce our agenda, which demonstrates our commitment to diversity and the way we manage our business. Our approach to developing this strategy has been truly inclusive with input across all our key stakeholders including our board, trade unions and employees.

In what has been an unprecedented year for so many reasons, we cannot help but reflect on the impact our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) programme has had on our business. Despite the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, NNL has remained 100% committed to our ED&I mission and, in particular, supporting gender equality.

The Advanced Nuclear for Heat and Hydrogen report highlights the key enablers for advanced nuclear technology to play a wider role in decarbonising society and helping the UK to reach its Net Zero commitment by 2050.

The work draws on a series of interviews with acknowledged nuclear industry experts, and others from across the wider energy sector, Government agencies and the international community.

In 2019, the UK's National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) completed a benchmarking exercise to explore the Knowledge Management activities and approaches of organisations from across the UK and
internationally.

The purpose of the exercise was to identify good practice and to share learning across NNL, the organisations involved, and wider.

The next decade will see tremendous changes to the nuclear sector worldwide with an expansion in nuclear new build, a growth in decommissioning and waste management and the prospect of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and accident tolerant fuel. We are at an exciting time in our industry.

For the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory this presents an opportunity to make an impact. Positioned at the frontier of nuclear science and technology ensures NNL offers the best strategic technical advice, provides the best integrated solutions and delivers innovative products and services to industry for the wider benefit of society.

An introduction to the UK's National Nuclear Laboratory.