The government has announced £40 million in funding for nuclear research and development. The money will go towards developing the next generation of nuclear technology.

The majority of the investment was in three Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) projects, which took £10 million apiece.

AMRs are much smaller than traditional reactors and so can be placed in remote locations. They can generate enough low carbon energy to power a medium-sized city.

These projects are:

• Tokamak Energy, Oxfordshire – working with industry partners and research establishments including Oxford University to develop fusion reactors
• Westinghouse, Lancashire – developing a lead-cooled fast reactor, a type of fission reactor
• U-Battery, Cheshire – working on a small high temperature gas-cooled fission reactor

The funding was part of the Nuclear Sector Deal, which was published in June 2018.

Minister for Business and Industry, Nadhim Zahawi, said: “Advanced modular reactors are the next step in nuclear energy and have the potential to be a crucial part of tackling carbon emissions and climate change. Today’s investment will immediately create new jobs in Oxfordshire, Cheshire and Lancashire. But through this vital research, the technology could also create thousands more green collar jobs for decades to come.”