Nuclear industry gets university help

EXPERTS from the Universities of Leeds and Huddersfield are to work with the nuclear industry to look at the future of power stations.

They are part of a team looking at how nuclear power stations will age to help the electricity generators that run them plan for the future.

Nuclear energy is expected to play an increasingly important part in providing the country’s electricity needs as the focus moves to low carbon options and the project will suggest the likely lifespan of the next generation of power stations.

Dr Andrew Scott, from the University of Leeds, said: “There has been very little focus on this type of nuclear research in the UK for 40 to 50 years.

“It is vital that we start training-up a new generation of nuclear engineers. This project will go some way towards doing that.”

The Universities of Leeds and Huddersfield will work with colleagues from the Universities of Manchester, Nottingham, Salford and Sussex on the project which will run for three years and is being funded by a £1.3m grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.