We all depend on energy to enrich our lives: to provide hot water and heat for our homes and offices, to transport materials by road, rail, sea and air, and to fuel a variety of industrial processes required for British-made goods.

 These are all essential services in a thriving society. But the energy system we rely on to deliver this is facing an overhaul. Fossil fuels like petrol and natural gas make up 75% of the energy we consume today in the UK – and there is no like-for-like swap for many energy applications.

Further electrification will help take us towards net zero, which itself means we will need to meet a growing electricity demand through low-carbon sources. But this is only one part of the challenge, decarbonising heavy industry and heavy transport will need to be tackled differently, as these vital sectors of the economy are much less suited to electrification.

As we look to the coming decades, the UK will need to factor in a range of solutions to decarbonise beyond just electricity and this presentation will set out the role nuclear could play in unlocking solutions.

About the speaker:
Robert Alford is the Delivery and Engagement Lead for Nuclear Energy Application projects within the United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory. Robert’s career to date has involved a broad range of roles in the nuclear sector including supporting waste management, current reactor operations and more recently within UK Government.

Robert specialises in the opportunities nuclear energy offers to unlock decarbonisation pathways beyond electricity. This includes through the use of direct heat, nuclear enabled hydrogen production and onward synthesis to liquid products such as synthetic aviation fuels, in turn supporting decarbonisation of hard to abate sectors including industry and transportation.

Robert is also involved in a number of international initiatives including as Chair of the Hydrogen Energy Association’s Nuclear Enabled Hydrogen working group, and UK Government appointed representative on groups within the Generative IV International Forum and the Nuclear Energy Agency.

Robert has been recognised for his contributions to the sector over the last decade becoming the youngest fellow of the Nuclear Institute (the professional body for the sector) in 2022."