£13m nuclear programme to boost UK energy security through sustainable graphite innovation

The University of Plymouth is one of the core partners in the new ENLIGHT initiative
Power lines coming from the nuclear power station at Sizewell in Suffolk, UK
The University of Plymouth is one of the key partners in a new programme that will transform the lifecycle of graphite in nuclear energy – an essential material for the future deployment of nuclear power.
Nuclear energy is expected to play a central role in the UK’s net zero goals as it emits almost no carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases.
However, it does come with challenges and the five-year ENLIGHT (Enabling a Lifecycle Approach to Graphite for Advanced Modular Reactors) programme will develop critical technologies to support the deployment of next-generation nuclear energy technology.
It will also address two of the UK’s most pressing nuclear challenges – securing a sustainable, sovereign supply of nuclear graphite, and finding solutions to manage the country’s growing volume of irradiated graphite waste.
In addition to researchers from Plymouth, the ENLIGHT programme brings together world-leading expertise from the University of Manchester (who are leading the overall project), the University of Oxford, and Loughborough University.
It will be supported through an £8.2m grant from UK Research and Innovation’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) with around £5m of contributions from industry partners.
The programme of research, collaboration, and skills development aims to secure the UK’s position at the forefront of nuclear innovation and a global leader in advanced reactor technology and clean energy innovation.
The University of Plymouth’s contribution to the project will be centred around the analysis of porous materials, which will play a critical role in evaluating the performance and suitability of repurposed graphite.

This project is not just about scientific discovery; it's about pioneering sustainable solutions for nuclear energy, turning waste into a valuable resource and bolstering the UK's energy security for decades to come.

This consortium embodies a truly cyclical and green approach to nuclear solutions, aiming for a cleaner energy transition and helping to demystify some of the traditional concepts that surround the nuclear industry. Our expertise in analysing the intricate properties of porous materials will be instrumental in ensuring the suitability of repurposed graphite for next-generation nuclear reactors, and we are particularly excited to have the opportunity to grow our relationship with The University of Manchester – and our industrial partners across the nuclear industry – through this initiative.

Katie JonesDr Katie Jones
Lecturer in Environmental Chemistry

Graphite is a critical component in many next-generation Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs), including High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors and various Molten Salt Reactor designs – technologies key to achieving the UK’s ambition to deliver 24GW of new nuclear power by 2050.
The material accounts for around one-third of reactor build costs, yet despite its importance, the UK currently relies entirely on imports to meet demand.
With the existing Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor fleet approaching decommissioning by 2028, and more than 100,000 tonnes of irradiated graphite already in storage, ENLIGHT will pioneer new approaches to both recycling legacy material and producing new, sustainable high-performance graphite suitable for future AMRs.
The programme will focus on three strands of work:
  • Sustainable Graphite – Developing processes for decontaminating, recycling and reusing irradiated graphite from ARM deployment;
  • Graphite Selection & Design – Designing new graphite materials engineered to withstand extreme conditions in AMR environments;
  • Graphite Performance – Understanding how these new materials behave in novel AMR conditions to improve its lifespan.
These advances could save the UK up to £2 billion in future waste management costs and offers a pathway to strengthen the UK’s unique position as a global hub for graphite research and innovation.
ENLIGHT will also focus on skills development to expand the national graphite research community and train the next generation of graphite scientists and engineers essential to the UK's clean energy future.

Nuclear graphite plays a vital role in the safety and efficiency of advanced reactors, yet the UK currently relies on overseas suppliers for this material. ENLIGHT will lay the foundation to reestablish UK-based graphite supply chain while developing sustainable solutions to recycle and reuse irradiated graphite – transforming a growing waste stream into a valuable resource. This programme will reduce waste, strengthen energy security, and support the country’s net zero ambitions.

Professor Abbie Jones, Principal Investigator
Chair in Nuclear Graphite at The University of Manchester

The Environment Agency look forward to participating as a partner in the ENLIGHT programme. As the environmental regulator for the nuclear industry in England, we consider the ambitions of the ENLIGHT programme on 'sustainable graphite' aligns with our Regulatory and RD&I areas of interest.

Dr Greg Black
Senior Advisor at the Environment Agency
 

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