• • • TEST & MEASUREMENT • • •


IMPACT OF INTERNATIONAL BEST PRACTICE ON BRITISH ENERGY GENERATION


on its ‘green’ merits alongside wind, solar and other low-impact sources. “One individual’s power requirements for their


BY RYAN KAVANAGH, DIRECTOR,


EXCITATION & ENGINEERING SERVICES T


he UK has a strong legacy of innovation in nuclear engineering. The safety case structure now adopted by the


International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was developed in Britain to justify the original Magnox reactors in the 1950s and 60s. Despite ambitious early investment in advanced


gas-cooled reactors, spiralling inflation and short- sighted designs made new builds unviable. The situation worsened with privatisation in the 1980s, driving costs up and halting reactor construction.


Environmental considerations


of nuclear power Today, nuclear accounts for just 14 per cent of the UK’s energy mix. Meanwhile, renewables have risen sharply, from 14 per cent in 2015 to 42 per cent in 2025. Few would argue with the environmental need to develop renewable energy generation, but nuclear power is rarely considered


20 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • JUNE 2026


whole life would produce less radioactive waste than would fit in a wine glass,” Sellafield nuclear chemist Tim Gregory told broadcaster LBC. Nuclear power has essentially no Scope 1 emissions, giving it low carbon-intensity compared to fossil fuels. Additionally, concerns remain about the stability


of grids built largely on intermittent energy sources like wind and solar. “System operators often use gas power stations


to stabilise the grid, providing important inertia to control voltage across the network,” says Kathryn Porter, energy consultant at Watt-Logic, in a recent LinkedIn post. “Unexplained voltage oscillations can, in extreme circumstances, cause the type of grid failure that led to the loss of eleven lives on April 28 in Spain and Portugal.” Small modular reactors (SMRs), alongside


Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C, are central to the UK’s plans to increase nuclear capacity from around six GW to 24 GW by 2050. With vast investment, growing electrification


demands, and energy security concerns heightened by Russia’s war in Ukraine, the UK must get this expansion right.


Overseas insights For models of how to build nuclear power infrastructure in the 21st century, the UK could look to China. The two European Pressurised Reactors (EPRs) at Taishan, Guangdon, came online in 2018 and 2019 respectively, constructed by French energy company EDF and the Chinese General Nuclear Power Group (CGN). Operational experience from the world’s first


working EPRs is invaluable. In 2020, CGN shut down Taishan 1 for a year due to damaged fuel rod cladding. In 2022, a Hinkley Point C spokesperson confirmed a solution would be applied there and at Sizewell C. In 2020, EDF issued a tender for upgrades to the


excitation control system for essential diesel generators (EDGs) at Dungeness B nuclear power station in Kent, England. EES’ partnership with global electro-mechanical manufacturer, Nidec Leroy-Somer allowed it to demonstrate the knowledge and experience to win the job. EDF’s technical specification set demanding


operating conditions and required detailed compliance for every point. For example, a typical automatic voltage


regulator (AVR) might be rated for 0 to 40°C and may not have a probability of failure (PFD) rating as standard. The nuclear industry demands greater


electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk


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