The first of July’s stimulating virtual acumen7 sessions was led by Tony Roulstone, Course Director for Nuclear Energy, University of Cambridge. Tony presented the case for smaller nuclear reactors which have the advantages of lower costs, faster speed of build and that could be privately funded. The capital and energy costs, as well as the build time can all be reduced by utilising offsite modularisation, as proven in other industries. Part of the discussion was around how to change the negative perceptions of nuclear. The session also touched on what nuclear energy brings to the carbon neutral agenda, which will be explored in greater depth by the network later this year.
