Energy

The nuclear sector is growing fast. As governments and multinationals with large data centres look for a clean, reliable power source, we are working with our partners to help the UK to become world leaders in this global market — with huge potential for economic growth and highly skilled jobs back home in our regions.

Thanks to our cutting-edge facilities, we are able to conduct manufacturing research on a larger scale than anywhere else in the country. Our full fabrication area for a nuclear vessel means we can do everything from laser cladding and welding to digital component tracing and automated assembly — all under one roof.

From Rolls-Royce to Sellafield, we’re working with companies to improve nuclear technologies through advanced manufacturing techniques.

We’re creating small modular reactors that could transform the scale and speed of nuclear plant production. We’re developing new, more efficient ways to store nuclear waste safely that are affordable and easy to manufacture. We work hand in hand with the world's leading regulators to inform the future of nuclear production globally. And we’re preparing the next generation of nuclear engineers and leaders in our training centre.

It’s hard to overstate the potential of this sector. With our skills, expertise, facilities and industry knowledge, the UK — and in particular South Yorkshire — has the potential to lead the world on nuclear energy the way we once did in steel production.

Hydrogen provides a key way of decarbonising high-temperature industrial processes and crucial sectors, such as aviation, that currently rely on burning fossil fuels. At the AMRC we are working to speed up and reduce the cost of manufacturing the hardware needed for the hydrogen sector, from electrolysers and storage tanks to fuel cells.

We are at the forefront of advancing and industrialising new technologies that produce low-carbon and clean fuels. We’re helping investment casting manufacturers understand how to make the switch from natural gas to hydrogen without affecting the ceramic shells used in production.

Our specialist facilities — like the Hydrogen Electric Propulsion Systems testbed — support the industrialisation of hydrogen fuel cell assemblies and carry out research without disrupting existing operations on the factory floor.

We work with hydrogen businesses large and small, from ZeroAvia and Toyota — global leaders in hydrogen propulsion for the aerospace and automotive sectors — to the many hydrogen startups and SMEs across the UK, helping them prepare for the growing demand for their products by optimising their designs and methods of manufacture.

Hydrogen will be a vital component in the journey to net zero by 2050, and our work in this area will realise the government’s mission for Britain to become a clean energy superpower.

Offshore wind is a growing part of the energy mix, forecast to produce half of Britain's power by 2030. With an increasing appetite for wind power here and around the world, we are working to ensure that UK companies can take a leading role in this market.

From composite manufacturing capabilities and electric machine design to large structure assembly, we have the facilities to develop new, quicker and cheaper ways of manufacturing all the parts of an offshore wind turbine — the blades, the tower, and the floating platform it sits on. Meanwhile our work on automated assembly and intelligent equipment maintenance is harnessing new technology to drive productivity and competitiveness in the sector.

We work with companies throughout the supply chain, from steel fabricators to software providers, helping them pivot to offshore wind. Together we could make it possible to create a circular economy in offshore wind — where turbines are designed, manufactured, installed, serviced and recycled, all here in the UK.

This ambition would not only reduce the industry’s carbon footprint substantially, it can create high-quality jobs around the UK and lead to the regeneration of coastal areas.