Small modular reactors could be assembled on existing nuclear licensed sites in the UK and replace existing baseload generation from advanced gas-cooled (AGR) units that are scheduled to be shut down, according to a report by the Henry Royce Institute and the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3)

The joint report, released as the Cop26 climate summits gets underway in Glasgow, Scotland, sets out how materials science and innovation will help the UK achieve net-zero. It warns that many of the challenges faced by next generation nuclear can only be overcome by further developments in materials and a better understanding of degradation mechanisms.