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New U-Battery graduates to focus on enhancing reactor’s capability

09 August 2022

PHOTO: In front of the mock-up model U-Battery (L-R) James, Oliver, Jugraj, Chloe, Lauren (seconded to BEIS). Second from right, Dan. Far right, Lead Mechanical & Process Engineer for U-Battery, Ian Andrews.

Five new graduate engineers have joined U-Battery on secondment and are already turning their minds to the Advanced Modular Reactor’s (AMR) solutions for clean energy. 

Oliver, Chloe and James, all 23, Jugraj, 24 and Dan, 30 have started work at Urenco’s Capenhurst site, where the U-Battery team is based.  

They will undertake project work on all aspects of the U-Battery reactor and its associated power conversion systems to provide a viable source of decarbonised heat for multiple industrial processes.   

Chloe, Jugraj and Oliver are all chemical engineering graduates, while James graduated in physics and Dan did his Masters in nuclear materials and engineering. 

They are on seven-month secondments from their respective sponsor companies as part of the Energus nucleargraduates scheme. 

Jugraj, who’s from the Midlands and is sponsored by Rolls Royce, said: “I’ve been following the U-Battery project for a number of years so I jumped at the chance to find out its inner workings.”

Oliver, also sponsored by Rolls Royce and from Stockton-On-Tees, said: “U-Battery’s vision and ambition is something which really stood out for me.”
Chloe, who’s from Scotland and is sponsored by Magnox, added: “After working in decommissioning on my first secondment, I decided to get hands on experience with reactor design at U-Battery.”

Dan, who’s from North Yorkshire and is sponsored by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), said: “I joined U-Battery to help something which is new nuclear actually get made. This is an exciting time for the industry.”

James, from Sunderland and also sponsored by the NDA, added: “It’s great to be a part of a front end concept design and to work on a next generation reactor.”

The graduates have already visited the U-Battery life-sized model in Whetstone, Leicestershire. 

U-Battery is committed to nurturing the next generation of scientists and engineers. As part of their development, the team will equip the graduates with skills to underpin their future applications for professional and chartered status. 

U-Battery’s Principal Engineer John Eldridge said: “This is our biggest cohort of graduate engineers so far, and demonstrates how our small nuclear reactor is inspiring young minds to consider a career in low-carbon energy production, supporting our transition to net zero.”