Nuclear energy was first developed in the 1940s. By the 1950s the UK had begun developing nuclear fission technology, with Calder Hall Nuclear Power Station becoming the world’s first commercially operating nuclear power station in 1956.
Nuclear power plants use nuclear fission to heat water, producing steam that spins large turbines to generate electricity. Inside a reactor core, uranium fuel is formed into small ceramic pellets. Each pellet can produce roughly the same amount of energy as about 150 gallons of oil. These pellets are stacked inside metal fuel rods, which are grouped into larger units called fuel assemblies.
As of 2026, the UK currently has five operational nuclear reactors, all owned by EDF Energy with three others currently defueling. However, this number will fall further by 2030 as they reach the end of their operational lives.
Only one new station is currently under construction: Hinkley Point C. Building began in 2018, with the first reactor expected to operate between 2029 and 2031. With a capacity of 3,200 MW and an estimated cost of £20 billion, it could supply around 7% of the UK’s electricity. With the high numbers of rectors being retired over the next few years there is also concern regarding the disposal of nuclear waste. Geological Disposal Facilities (GDF) are currently being considered by the UK Government to dispose of spent fuel from retired nuclear cores but there are currently no facilities in the UK.
This section provides examples of a research, teaching or innovation taking place at Robert Gordon University related to this topic.
Researchers from the School of Computing, Engineering and Technology authored a paper in 2023 titled: ‘Scalable Metamaterial Thermally Sprayed Catalyst Coatings for Nuclear Reactor-Based High-Temperature Solid Oxide Water Electrolysis.’ The paper looked at how excess steam generated in nuclear power plants could be easily utilised for producing hydrogen using a solid oxide electrolyser.