Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the development of fusion energy and allied technologies.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Fusion supports the Government’s Plan for Change and its Missions to Kickstart Economic Growth – through innovation, highly skilled jobs, and tech transfer to adjacent sectors, and make Britain a Clean Energy Superpower.
The Government has announced a record £410m for fusion R&D to fund world leading new facilities, cutting edge research, support for the UK’s thriving industry and skill provision across the UK.
The Government is supporting rapid development of the fusion energy sector, investing in cutting-edge research capabilities and facilities, and implementing a proportionate regulatory framework to cement the UK as a global hub for fusion investment and commercialisation.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government why they have decided to immobilise and dispose of 140 tonnes of civil plutonium stored at Sellafield rather than repurposing the material for energy generation, selling it, or putting it to an alternative use, such as in medical or scientific research.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Implementing a long-term solution for plutonium is essential to dealing with the UK’s nuclear legacy and leaving the environment safer for future generations.
The material in its current form presents a significant and costly burden. DESNZ and NDA has considered re-use options and found that immobilisation is more likely to put the material into a safe, stable and disposable form soonest and with greatest delivery confidence.
All current and planned UK reactors use uranium fuel. We will continue to take wider strategic factors and technologies into account in making the final investment decision.