Construction of Britain’s new high-speed railway has passed a major milestone with excavation of the 8.4-mile Northolt Tunnel under London. The fourth of four tunnel boring machines (TBMs) being used to dig the twin-bore tunnel - the second-longest on the HS2 route between London and the West Midlands - completed its work yesterday. The machine, named Anne, installed the final concrete ring underground before emerging into a vent shaft at Green Park Way in Greenford.

The 14-metre-tall dome closes the 44-metre-high reactor building, allowing its fit-out to accelerate. Images of the spectacular operation can be downloaded here - and the video can be downloaded here.

Work on Unit 2 was stopped during the pandemic, but teams are catching up on lost time.  Their progress is helped by innovation and experience from Unit 1, which means Unit 2 takes 20-30% less time to build. The twin nuclear reactors will provide reliable zero-carbon electricity for more than six million homes, boosting Britain’s energy security for decades to come.  

Almost £20 million funding was invested to help NRS communities grow and thrive in 2024/25. NRS has supported 149 projects to bring positive social change to benefit people living in communities across the UK – from Caithness to the tip of North Wales, down to the Bristol and English Channels.

Every £1 of the £2,287,696 NRS has invested unlocked another £8.23 in match funding, elevating the community support to over £18.8m. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority also directly supported four transformational projects with a share of over £900,000 - taking the total to almost £20m.

The NDA has published its strategy for consultation, setting out the roadmap to decommission the UK’s earliest nuclear sites safely, securely and sustainably.

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has published its revised strategy for public consultation, setting out a clear roadmap for one of the UK’s most complex long-term environmental challenges.

As Armed Forces Week began, Altrad was proud to announce a new partnership with the inspirational charity, Scotty’s Little Soldiers. The collaboration marks a significant step in our ongoing commitment to the military community, following the company’s signing of the Armed Forces Covenant last year.

Guest:  Stuart Miller, Programme Director, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.
Interviewed by: Antony Oliver

Nuclear power has played a vital role in the UK’s energy story for more than half a century. But as the country transitions toward a low-carbon future, there’s another story unfolding—one of responsibility, innovation, and transformation. The story of the decommissioning.

Amentum (NYSE: AMTM), a global leader in advanced engineering and innovative technology solutions, announced the award of a significant new contract from Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) to provide operations and management solutions for Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL). Under this contract, Amentum will help advance nuclear science, technology, and innovation across Canada.

Eastern Concrete Ltd. will provide over 120,000m3 of quality approved concrete as part of early-stage construction work over the next two years, creating eight new local jobs so far.

The contract is part of Sizewell C’s growing regional investment, which has already seen £330 million awarded to 77 suppliers across the East of England.

It is estimated the Mona Offshore Wind Farm could generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of more than 1 million British homes, providing a major boost for the national mission to become a clean energy superpower.

Situated in the Irish Sea, the project will power growth across the country by building supply chain opportunities, with the developer launching a portal where local companies can offer their skills to deliver the project, boosting local communities in Wales and across the UK.

EDF is the first shareholder to announce its backing for the nuclear plant alongside the UK government, who confirmed £14.2 billion of funding into the project in last month’s Spending Review.  

Today’s announcement takes Sizewell C one step closer to being given the green light, when it will help to deliver the UK’s ‘golden age’ of nuclear and see clean power supplied to millions of homes.

Further investors and details on the project’s financing will be confirmed at the point of the Final Investment Decision, targeted for this summer.

Google and Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) have announced a new global milestone, a bold partnership to develop, deploy and scale clean, secure fusion power.

Google signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) for 200 megawatts (MW) of electricity from CFS’ inaugural ARC power plant, which CFS expects will put power on the grid in the early 2030s, in Chesterfield County, Virginia.

Google also has the option to offtake power from additional ARC power plants.

Guest:  Julia Pyke, Managing Director, Sizewell C project.
Interviewed by: Antony Oliver

In today' podcast we are focusing on the UK’s new nuclear power ambitions and specifically, exploring the Sizewell C project.

As I said a few weeks ago on the podcast, it’s perhaps one of the most significant moments for the UK’s nuclear industry in over a generation.