Friday 24 October 2025

COP 30 and the climate challenge 

Next month the eyes of the world will be upon Belém, Brazil, as world leaders convene for COP30. The urgency of our climate challenge has never been clearer: according to the World Meteorological Organization global temperatures are already 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels and the ten warmest years on record have all occurred in the last decade.  

Action is needed now, and nuclear energy is a proven, scalable solution that can deliver rapid cuts in emissions required to meet net zero commitments. In the UK alone, our current nuclear fleet has already prevented over one billion tonnes of CO₂ emissions between 1976 and 2024. At United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL), we’re proud of our work to safely and securely support the generation of reliable clean energy which directly supports critical COP Climate Action Agenda objectives. 

Supporting Today’s Clean Energy Infrastructure 

At UKNNL we’ve been supporting EDF with their fleet of Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactors such as Heysham 1 and Hartlepool for decades by using our unique technical expertise to help to extend the life of reactors and improve the performance of existing infrastructure. Through our advanced laboratory capabilities, we provide critical fuel testing, materials analysis, and safety assessments so these reactors can provide reliable, carbon-free electricity to approximately 17 million homes across the UK. From using a new digital app for inspecting fuel elements, to conducting research on graphite reactor cores, our longstanding work with EDF makes sure the lights are kept on in the UK without burning fossil fuels.  

Pioneering Nuclear Hydrogen 

Hydrogen production using nuclear energy, is one of the most promising ways to cut industrial emissions in line with Theme One of the COP Action Agenda, which focuses on transitioning energy, industry and transport. The Bay Hydrogen Hub project, which UKNNL is working on in partnership with EDF Nuclear Generation, is pioneering the world’s first comprehensive investigation into using nuclear energy to produce hydrogen to displace fossil fuels in the asphalt industry.  

This groundbreaking project, which will be demonstrated at Heidelberg Materials UK’s asphalt plant, focuses on how nuclear plants can use their high-grade heat and steam to produce clean hydrogen, which can then replace fossil fuels in energy-intensive industries. Nuclear-enabled hydrogen production offers a pathway to clean up numerous sectors where direct electrification is challenging or impossible. From steel production to chemical manufacturing, the ability to produce large quantities of clean hydrogen at competitive costs could unlock industrial transformation at the scale and speed required to meet our climate targets through nuclear. 

Transforming the Nuclear Technologies of Tomorrow  

At UKNNL we’re pioneering research to develop advanced nuclear technologies that will define the next generation of clean energy systems. Our work on High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs) represents a major leap forward in nuclear technology’s potential to serve industrial transformation. 

Through our partnership with the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, we are developing the capability and skills required for advanced modular reactors that deliver outlet temperatures significantly higher than current nuclear technology – up to 950◦C compared to around 300◦C of the largescale power plants in the UK. These reactors enable the direct use of nuclear heat for industrial processes, removing the need for fossil fuel combustion in applications requiring high-grade heat. 

Some designs of advanced reactors will be fuelled by Coated Particle Fuel – a revolutionary fuel technology that we’ve successfully developed at scale in UKNNL’s Preston laboratories. Often described as the most robust nuclear fuel on earth, each coated particle is roughly the size of a poppy seed but contains enough energy to boil eight kettles. Four protective layers mean that this fuel is designed for safety and can produce the high-temperature heat that industry needs. 

Leadership for Global Climate Action 

As we approach COP30, the nuclear community has a responsibility to collectively demonstrate how our technologies can accelerate the global transition to clean energy. UKNNL’s work spans the full spectrum of nuclear applications – from supporting today’s reactors to developing tomorrow’s advanced technologies, safely and securely.  We’re at the forefront of international collaboration, bringing together national laboratories at COP 26 in Glasgow and continuing to work together on the Global National Laboratories Integrated Energy Systems collaboration to spearhead advancements in integrated energy systems.

Nuclear provides scalable, low-carbon energy that works alongside renewables whilst enabling industrial decarbonisation. Achieving the rapid cuts in emissions required to limit global warming will require collaboration across clean energy technologies.

The energy choices we make in the next decade will determine whether we can avoid the worst impacts of climate change whilst building a prosperous and sustainable future. Our work demonstrates that nuclear technologies can deliver both the immediate changes and long-term technological transformation needed to address the climate crisis.