Driving R&D To Build A Nuclear Industry

This article was first published in Nuclear Engineering International

Some national efforts focus on R&D as a mechanism of fostering innovation and building greater momentum in nuclear. Measures like the Inflation Reduction Act in the USA and Europe's Green Deal Industrial Plan are already having an impact, but what else can nations do to drive the nuclear sector forward?

The nuclear industry has been at the forefront of recent discussions in the journey to achieving net zero. According to the International Energy Agency, there are already 413 GW of nuclear capacity across 32 countries, which avoids 1.5 gigatonnes of emissions and 180 billion cubic metres of natural gas use per year. Nuclear is the second largest source of low-emissions power after hydropower.