The road to net zero: renewables and nuclear working together

Our paper explores how nuclear energy and renewables can work together to deliver their full potential and help the UK reach net zero.

Renewable energy plays a large role in Government plans to decarbonise the UK’s electricity grid. Wind and solar form almost all of this renewable generation, but they have the downside that they can experience extended periods with little to no generation due to their inherent variability. Gaps in generation will be filled by gas, but its much-reduced operational time will make this supporting generation very expensive.

Nuclear power has historically been inflexible, and therefore used only for baseload generation, but by effectively using both electricity and the heat from nuclear energy (termed “cogeneration”), it is possible to make nuclear flexible. Our new paper lays out modifications to Government scenarios, replacing electricity from gas with flexible nuclear cogeneration, and offers ten recommendations for effective implementation.

In our “Flexible Nuclear” scenario, nuclear energy primarily delivers heat to produce hydrogen and other fuels that are essential to decarbonise the UK, with renewables delivering the bulk of the electricity generation.

When renewable output drops, nuclear energy is instead diverted to generate electricity for the grid. This avoids the need to build new gas-fired plants that would only operate a small proportion of the time. This approach would allow both renewables and nuclear to deliver to their full potential, with more than half of UK electricity coming from wind by 2050.

The authors

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  Juan Matthews - Visiting Professor in Nuclear Energy Technology, Dalton Nuclear Institute

  Starting as a theoretical physicist Juan carried out and managed research on nuclear safety and advanced reactor systems at Harwell. He later set up and managed activities across Asia for AEA Technology, before working on international business and innovation in the nuclear and energy sectors, mainly for Government.

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  William Bodel - Dalton Fellow in Nuclear Energy Policy

  Will's doctoral research into nuclear engineering materials focused on nuclear graphite and its behaviour under reactor conditions. He subsequently worked on material fracture and life-extension of the UK’s AGR fleet. His current research focus is on energy policy, and nuclear systems choice for net zero.

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  Gregg Butler - Head of Strategic Assessment, Dalton Nuclear Institute

  Gregg has over 50 years’ experience in most aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle: R&D, planning, commercial, plant, site and company operations and management, director and advisory committee roles. He has published extensively on nuclear topics, and is currently concentrating on nuclear energy’s role in net zero.

  Read more on Gregg's research profile

The Director

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  Zara Hodgson - Director, Dalton Nuclear Institute

  Director and Professor of Nuclear Engineering – Zara has a broad background in nuclear R&D, through the Nuclear Innovation and Research Office and the National Nuclear Laboratory, ranging from spent fuel management to nuclear power systems for space exploration. She joined the Institute in 2024 from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero where she led on nuclear fuel policy.

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