Dear All,

The Geological Society is making a response to the House of Lords Science
and Technology Committee's enquiry in to UK nuclear R&D capabilities.
The accompanying brief (below) is conspicuously lacking any mention of
geological disposal of nuclear waste, which is presumably one of the
GeolSoc's motives for making a response.

Does the UK Geophysics community want the BGA to make a separate response?
Or to add anything peculiarly geophysical to the GeolSoc's response?
Please let me know, or contact Nic Bilham on [log in to unmask]
**by 10 am on Tuesday 26th April** i.e. straight after Easter.

Thanks!
Sheila Peacock
British Geophysical Association.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Geological Society Consultation Response - Nuclear R&D Capabilities
Date: 	Tue, 12 Apr 2011 19:53:16 +0100
From: 	policy <[log in to unmask]>
To: 	Sheila Peacock <[log in to unmask]>



Dear Dr Peacock

The House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee has announced an inquiry
to investigate whether the UK’s nuclear research and development capabilities are
sufficient to meet its future nuclear energy requirements to 2050. The Geological
Society will be making a response, focusing on geological aspects of the questions
raised, including radioactive waste disposal.

The guidance from the Committee is as follows:

*Background *

The Government’s finalised Energy National Policy Statements will be presented to
Parliament for ratification in the spring and regulatory approval of nuclear reactor
designs for new build plants is expected to be given later this year.

In recent months, a number of reports, including a report on nuclear fission by the
Energy Research Partnership in September 2010, have highlighted the need for Government
to look beyond current plans for nuclear new build and, looking ahead to 2050, to
consider whether the UK satisfies the R&D requirements necessary to meet the country’s
demand for nuclear energy in the future.

A range of scenarios and roadmaps estimate that between 12 to 38 GW of nuclear capacity
will be required if a secure, reliable and low carbon energy system is to be in place
in the UK by 2050. Attempts have been made to assess the R&D capabilities that will
be needed, now and in the future, to meet these future scenarios. Conclusions from
this work indicate that, within the 2050 timeframe, deployment of a new generation
of nuclear technology (Generation IV) is likely. If this is the case, a significant
global R&D programme will be needed over the next few years to ensure successful
delivery of Generation IV. Added to this, increasing demand for uranium, coupled
with concerns about nuclear proliferation, will require consideration of the
development of technologies associated with recycling of fuel and reprocessing
plutonium. Assessment of the adequacy of the UK’s nuclear R&D capabilities will
need also therefore to include our being able to ensure a safe and secure supply of
fuel and, when the time comes, its safe and secure disposal.

In these circumstances, the Committee has decided that it is timely to consider
what role the UK should be playing in the coming years to develop these future
technologies and what domestic R&D capabilities are needed to contribute to, and
benefit from, international research programmes in order to meet our future nuclear
energy needs.

The Committee decided to undertake this inquiry before the recent events in Japan
concerning the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Consideration of health and safety
R&D capabilities is inherent within the scope of this inquiry. These events confirm
the importance of ensuring that the UK has adequate R&D capabilities to meet current
and potential future needs for nuclear energy safely and securely.

The Committee is aware that the UK’s nuclear interests extend beyond the UK’s borders
to international non-proliferation and security policies. The Committee fully
acknowledges the critical importance of these policy areas. However, for the
purposes of this present inquiry, our intention is to focus principally on UK
nuclear R&D and our ability to meet future nuclear energy requirements, touching
on other related policy areas only where they have implications relevant to this
inquiry topic.

**

*Questions *

The Committee invites evidence on the following questions. Submissions are not
required to cover all questions.

/The implications of future scenarios /

• What are the research and capability requirements of nuclear energy policy
options, roadmaps and scenarios up to 2050?

• What consideration is the Government giving to the UK’s R&D requirements to
meet the policy objectives for nuclear energy both in the near term and longer
term (to 2050)? Does more need to be done?

• What research capabilities and commitments are required now to meet these
future nuclear energy policies?

/The research base /

• Does the UK have adequate R&D capabilities, including infrastructure, to
meet its current and future needs for a safe and secure supply of nuclear energy?

• Are there sufficient opportunities and avenues to conduct translational
nuclear research in the UK to develop future technologies? Which bodies
should be funding this work?

/Competing in the global market /

• What are the research areas in which the UK is recognised internationally
as having strengths?

• What are the costs and benefits to the UK of a more or less active R&D
capability within the country?

/Strategic oversight and co-ordination /

• Is there sufficient co-ordination between the bodies involved in nuclear
research and, if not, how should it be improved? Who has oversight of the
whole nuclear R&D landscape, including international activities?

• What role should the Government play in identifying gaps in research,
providing oversight of the whole landscape and encouraging co-ordination
between funders and deliverers? Are they fulfilling that role? Should more be done?

/International and European research activities and comparisons /

• Should the UK be involved in international and European research activities
on nuclear? If so, how and what are the benefits and costs of doing so?

• What can the UK learn from how other countries presently organise and
deliver R&D provision for nuclear? To what extent are other countries
increasing or decreasing their research capacity in order to deliver
future nuclear policies?

/Roles and responsibilities /

• Are the bodies involved in funding research and setting research agendas
adequately fulfilling their roles and responsibilities? Should anything change?

• In particular:

1. what is the role of the Research Council’s cross-council Energy Programme?
Is it giving sufficient attention to the UK’s current and future nuclear energy
research requirements?

2. is the National Nuclear Laboratory fulfilling its R&D remit appropriately?
Can it deliver the required research to support the UK’s future nuclear energy
policies? How does it compare to NNL’s in other countries?

3. is the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s R&D remit still appropriate,
given the UK’s current and potential future nuclear policies?

The Committee would also be interested to hear about any other issues not
already covered by this call for evidence that are relevant to the scope of
the inquiry.

The deadline for written evidence is Thursday 28 April 2011. Fellows wishing
to contribute to the Society’s response should write to [log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]>by 10am on Tuesday 26 April, pointing out any
special experience or expertise you may have which is relevant to the issue at hand.

You can read all recent Geological Society consultation responses at
www.geolsoc.org.uk/consultations <http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/consultations>.
Open consultations to which the Society plans to respond are also listed there.

With best wishes

Nic