NIA urges UK to be world leader in nuclear-derived synthetic fuels

A NEW report from the Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) is urging the UK to take the lead in the production of synthetic fuels using nuclear energy to help hard-to-decarbonise sectors such as aviation and shipping reach low emission targets. 

With an aim to exploit a market valued at US$15.3bn by 2030 and US$600bn by 2050, the report, authored by energy consultants Equilibrion on behalf of the NIA, outlines several recommendations which it sees as vital to promoting the UK as a "world leader" in the synthetic fuels sector.  

Distinct from biofuels as they are not reliant on organic waste feedstocks to provide the hydrogen and carbon needed for fuel production, synthetic fuels are liquid fuels that basically have the same main ingredients as fossil fuels but are produced for example from CO2 captured from manufacturing processes and hydrogen extracted from water.  

The problem with producing synthetic fuels though, is that it requires a large amount of energy. Historically, this has been done using coal and natural gas as feedstocks, but to produce it sustainably, renewable resources such as biomass, solar, wind, or hydro need to be used.  

However, when you consider that the energy requirement for the global aviation sector alone in 2019 was over 14.5 EJ (exajoule), it would need around three times the total global installed solar and wind generation output in 2021 to decarbonise all of this fuel with synthetic fuels, the report notes.  

Using nuclear could help alleviate this problem, NIA said. Not only are there over 400 operating reactors in the world producing nearly 10% of the world’s electricity from nuclear heat, the heat and electricity from nuclear can be used for all stages of the synthetic fuel process, 24 hours a day, seven days a week from a very small land area. 

“Unlike other energy sources, nuclear can be built in a range of locations and is not limited in its scale of deployment by the local availability of renewable energy resource, making it ideal for densely populated regions,” the report said. 

Furthermore, by capitalising on the UK's existing capability in nuclear power, the country has the opportunity to reduce reliance on international fuel markets, improve energy security, while creating thousands of high value jobs and delivering on levelling up ambitions.  

"Immediate action to decarbonise hard to abate industries is now crucial if we are to reach net zero and meet energy security targets,” said Tom Greatrex, CEO of the NIA. “The UK must take this golden opportunity to be a global leader." 

Along with adding nuclear energy representation to the Hydrogen Advisory Council, the report’s other recommendations include ensuring both government and non-government net zero modelling and assessment includes nuclear-derived synthetic fuels, and that the government should consider amendments to the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation to enable nuclear to be exploited for the production of fuels in the wider low carbon fuels market. 

"The transport sector is responsible for close to a third of UK emissions, so the ability to directly replace fossil fuels with zero carbon equivalents, particularly for aviation, shipping and heavy transport, could have a game changing impact on our journey to net zero," said Phil Rogers, director of Equilibrion. "The UK needs to take this opportunity and outline a pathway to economy-scale production and the near-term actions government and industry need to take to deliver on the vision." 

The report comes as EDF Energy extended the operating life of its Hartlepool and Heysham 1 nuclear plants in Britain by two years to March 2026.  

Originally slated for closure in 2024, the plants, which have a combined capacity of 2.3 GW and provide around 5% of the UK's power supply, could stay open beyond 2026, but it will depend on market conditions at the time. 

Last week, the UK government announced it would launch a competition for small modular nuclear reactors and create a public body to boost nuclear supply opportunities and supply 25% of the UK’s power by 2050.