Martin Cheetham is the station director of the EDF-run Heysham 2 nuclear power plant on the Lancashire coast in northwest England. It has two advanced gas-cooled reactors which were first connected to the grid in 1988. They have a combined power of 1.24 GW and had an initial design life to 2023 before being extended to 2028.

The second unit at Heysham 2 power plant set a record with 940 days of continuous operation from 2014 to 2016 and the plant is now closing in on setting a new record for electricity generated by a nuclear power plant in the UK. As it does so, there are currently checks going on which could see a further extension to its life.

In this episode Cheetham talks about the similarities and differences between nuclear and his earlier work at thermal energy plants, he explains what decisions on Heysham's lifetime extension rest on, and why such decisions are different for the UK's fleet of AGRs compared with pressurised water reactors.

He also highlights the potential for the Heysham site to become home to a new generation of nuclear power, in the form of small modular reactors.

Key links to find out more:
See pictures from inside Heysham 2
World Nuclear News
Kazatomprom, MonAtom join forces in strategic partnership
Preliminary Czech ruling rejects Westinghouse and EDF appeals
Engineering contract for Bulgarian units signed with Hyundai E&C and Westinghouse
Slovenia's referendum on new nuclear cancelled

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Sign up to the World Nuclear News daily and weekly news round-ups

Contact info:
alex.hunt@world-nuclear.org

Episode credit: Presenter Alex Hunt. Co-produced and mixed by Pixelkisser Production

Global tech giants Microsoft, Google and Amazon have all announced deals which will see them using nuclear energy in the coming years. In this edition we outline what has been announced, why, and also consider the significance for new nuclear energy in the future.

There is also a report from Claire Maden on what was a very timely session at last month's World Nuclear Symposium focusing on connecting end users with 24/7 energy. Those who featured on the panel include Todd Noe, Director of Nuclear & Energy Innovation at Microsoft, Claude Lorea, Cement, Innovation and ESG Director for the Global Concrete and Cement Association, Lou Martinez Sancho, Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President, R&D and Innovation, for Westinghouse and The Nuclear Company's Juliann Edwards.

Key links to find out more:
World Nuclear News
Amazon invests in X-energy, unveils SMR project plans
Google and Kairos Power team up for SMR deployments
Constellation to restart Three Mile Island unit, powering Microsoft
How end-users can help drive nuclear new-build

Email newsletter:
Sign up to the World Nuclear News daily or weekly news round-ups

Contact info:
alex.hunt@world-nuclear.org

Episode credit: Presenter Alex Hunt. Co-produced and mixed by Pixelkisser Production

A group of 14 global financial institutions have expressed their support for the call to triple nuclear energy capacity by 2050. Their message, during New York Climate Week, stated their recognition that global civil nuclear energy projects have an important role to play in the transition to a low-carbon economy and means they join 25 countries and more than 120 companies already signed up to that tripling goal.

Jonathan Cobb, senior programme lead, climate, at World Nuclear Association, explains the significance of the pledge from the 14 institutions - Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Ares Management, Bank of America, Barclays, BNP Paribas, Brookfield, Citi, Credit Agricole CIB, Goldman Sachs, Guggenheim Securities LLC, Morgan Stanley, Rothschild & Co, Segra Capital Management, and Societe Generale.

But how can that support be translated into firm investments? Well, in this finance-focused episode, we also hear what some of the senior decision-makers said at World Nuclear Symposium earlier in September, about the challenges for private finance in new nuclear, and their ideas for smoothing that path.

Among those featuring are:
Vicki Kalb, Global Head of ESG and Sustainability Research at UBS
Seb Henbest, Group Head of Climate Transition at HSBC
Bill Lacivita, Partner at McKinsey & Company
Ed Cook, Global Head of Capital Markets at BlackRock
Cosmin Ghita, Chief Executive Officer at Nuclearelectrica
Kim Lauritsen, Senior VP, Enterprise Strategy & Energy Markets at
Ontario Power Generation
László Varró, VP, Strategy Insights & Scenarios at Shell International

Key links to find out more:
World Nuclear News
International banks express support for nuclear expansion
Net Zero Nuclear

Email newsletter:
Sign up to the World Nuclear News daily or weekly news round-ups

Contact info:
alex.hunt@world-nuclear.org

Episode credit: Presenter Alex Hunt. Co-produced and mixed by Pixelkisser Production