A research centre in Wales has been awarded the UKRI Doctoral Focal Award, which grants £24 million towards building a nuclear skills programme. This investment is going to help establish PANDA, or the Programme for Accelerating Nuclear Development and Applications. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, or DESNZ, is also awarding £9 million.
Interest in Nuclear Energy Is Growing
Nuclear energy is part of a global conversation right now, and has been for decades. Renewed interest is helping to fuel everything from scientific research to uses in climate change. An example would be Nuclear Now, which was directed by Oliver Stone.
The film explores the history of nuclear power, while highlighting how it could reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. A Bright Future by Joshua Goldstein and Staffan Qvist is another example.
They argue that nuclear power can be one of the best ways to reduce carbon emissions. In music, Cytotoxin’s Nuclearth album highlights nuclear energy, and in iGaming, those who play trending online slots like Atomic Fishin’ will also see a toxic-green aesthetic.
Examples like this show how recognisable nuclear aesthetics have become over the years, and how radiation-inspired visuals reflect our growing interest in nuclear power and the symbolism that it has in general.
All of this interest is also translating to more real-world investments. A PANDA doctoral programme is being led by the United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory with the aim being to train 100 researchers in advanced nuclear science and engineering.
As PANDA puts such a strong emphasis on industry skills, including communication, regulatory awareness and even project management, it’s clear that the sector doesn’t need technical proficiency, but also people who can work safely as a team to harness nuclear power.
Multiple Establishments are Working Together
The new PANDA programme is going to connect to a network of establishments, including researchers from Bristol, Derby, Manchester, London, Birmingham and Cambridge. The investment also shows what a growing need we have for long-term energy ambitions.
As time goes on, we are also seeing more projects announced, such as the Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactor at Wylfa. This is set to be the first location for three SMRs, and it’s being backed by a £2.6 billion partnership.
It’s drawing £599 million from the National Wealth Fund, with the nuclear island creating over 3,000 local jobs in Wales as well as powering three million homes. There are hopes that the whole operation will be up and running by the mid-2030s, and if successful, it could mark a whole new era for energy creation.
According to the latest research, nuclear energy is significantly better for the environment when compared to things like fossil fuels, as it helps to improve air quality and it also fights climate change. A lot of this is because it produces zero greenhouse gases during any kind of operation, and it’s also much cleaner energy. To adopt it at scale, however, significant investments have to be made, which is why the new nuclear programme is so essential.
