Launch of £2.5m Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) R&D Competition
Grants are available to qualifying businesses to support the development of High Temperature Gas Reactor technologies.
Through the Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) R&D Competition, the Government is providing innovation funding to support the development and demonstration of High Temperature Gas Reactor (HTGR) technology in the UK.
The programme aims to demonstrate HTGR technology by the early 2030s, in time for any potential commercial AMRs to support net zero by 2050. This HTGR demonstration, which will be sited in the UK, should be shaped by end-user requirements, and should incentivise private investment in HTGRs by removing technical risk. It should have innovation at the centre of its design, build, and application.
The programme has a total budget of £2.5 million in innovation funding. It aims to fund up to six Pre-FEED (Front End Engineering Design) studies across two key technology lots. These are:
- Lot 1: Reactor Demonstration (up to four Pre-FEED studies will be awarded) for projects developing Advanced Modular HTGR technologies, with up to £500,000 available for each project.
- Lot 2: Fuel Demonstration (up to two Pre-FEED studies will be awarded) for projects developing Coated Particle Fuel (CPF) for HTGR technologies, with up to £250,000 available for each project.
The scheme will fund 100% of eligible costs. The funding is available for RD&D activities only, including related dissemination activity.
UK businesses may apply. The competition is aimed at organisations working on research, development and demonstration (RD&D) of an innovative process, material, device, product, or service prior to commercialisation.
Proposed solutions must enable High Temperature Gas Reactor (HTGR) technology, where HTGR is defined as a gas-cooled nuclear fission reactor with an outlet temperature greater than 700oC.
The deadline to Register to enter the competition is 16 May 2022 (14:00 BST).
(This report was the subject of a GRANTfinder Newsflash.)
