The United Kingdom invests £ 300 million (approximately 348.5 million euros) in creating nuclear fuel production based on high-volume low-savvy uranium (High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium, Haleu). The official website of the UK government reports that this initiative is aimed at reducing global dependence on the supply of this type of nuclear fuel from Russia.
The first plant to start production of Haleu in the UK is planned to be launched in the early 2030s. In addition, the United Kingdom will allocate £ 10 million (about 11.6 million euros) for the study of other types of modern nuclear fuel.
Haleu -based fuel benefits that it can be used in more compact modular reactors at nuclear power plants, which makes the construction of NPPs simpler and cheaper. This type of fuel is enriched with five to 20 percent, which is higher than uranium used in most existing nuclear power plants.
The United Kingdom has intended to compete with Russia in the nuclear fuel market, seeking to displace it from global markets. The State Secretary of Energy Security and Britain's Energy Security and Carbon Neutrality, Claire Coutinho, said the UK would not allow Russia to monopolize the market and intend to export uranium fuel.
It is noted that the market situation has been complicated due to Russia's actions after the war against Ukraine, and the UK responds to it, developing its own production of nuclear fuel to ensure energy security. London plans for Haleu -based fuel production also meet the global objectives of carbon neutrality, which the UK plans to reach by 2035.
