Cross-sector collaboration is key for MoltexFLEX
Warrington, UK (11th July 2023) – British-based MoltexFLEX has today welcomed the appointment of one of its senior team members to a prominent role supporting cross-sector collaboration for advanced nuclear technologies.
Tristram Denton, MoltexFLEX’s Commercial Development Director, was voted in as chair of the Nuclear Industry Association’s (NIA’s) new Advanced Nuclear Technology (ANT) Working Group by a range of companies involved in delivering ANTs, at the end of June. The group will represent developers of ANTs, including small and advanced modular reactors, and will enable these companies to speak with a single voice to Government and other stakeholders about what the industry needs to thrive.
“It’s increasingly important that those of us developing ANTs are aligned in our offering and the circumstances which will enable us to deliver,” said Denton.
“Deployed in the right way, ANTs – alongside GW-scale nuclear reactors – have the potential to offer lower capital costs, lower barriers to entry, and deeper decarbonisation, thereby accessing swathes of the energy sector that nuclear power has not previously supported. This approach will ensure that nuclear plays the largest possible role in fighting climate change, while the UK secures the greatest economic opportunities.
“There is room for all to succeed in this sector – in fact, the scale of the challenge demands that we do. As a group, we look forward to working with Government and others to realise these opportunities,” he added.
Denton joined MoltexFLEX in January 2023, bringing with him a wealth of experience in the nuclear industry. Over the past 16 years, he has worked in government relations, programme delivery and commercial structuring. After spells at the NIA and Horizon Nuclear Power, he joined Hitachi to help deploy the ABWR reactor. In 2019, he joined the UK Atomic Energy Authority to help lead the establishment of the STEP fusion programme.
The deputy chair of the group will be Chloe Fletcher, a Senior Consultant in Environment & Radioactive Waste Management with inspection and certification company TÜV SÜD. “This is a pivotal time for the UK’s nuclear industry, and the formation of this working group will create a united voice to help make purposeful progress towards a more sustainable future,” she said. “I am excited to be working with Tris and the NIA as I believe that my understanding of the challenges associated with the development of the different reactor technologies, and my impartiality as a senior consultant at TÜV SÜD Nuclear Technologies, will provide useful support to the advancement of the working group,” Fletcher added.
The establishment of the ANT Working Group comes at a time of surging interest in ANTs and SMRs more generally. The purpose and constitution of the group were finalised at the NIA’s recent ANT conference – the first of its kind in the UK – at which MoltexFLEX had a significant presence.
Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said: “The UK has a real opportunity to be a world leader in advanced nuclear technologies, with the promise of jobs, clean energy and energy security, so it’s encouraging to see the formation of this working group.
“I extend my congratulations to Tris Denton and Chloe Fletcher on their election as Chair and Deputy Chair of the group. With their considerable experience in the advanced nuclear sector, I am confident that they will drive vital progress and position Britain as the best place to invest in these technologies,” he added.
MoltexFLEX CEO David Landon said: “It is a privilege to have one of our team members selected to chair this group, and it is important that we work together to promote and deliver the benefits that advanced nuclear technologies offer in delivering net zero, and in particular, deep decarbonisation.”
About MoltexFLEX MoltexFLEX, a subsidiary of Moltex Energy Limited, is based in Warrington, UK. It is developing the FLEX reactor – an advanced small modular reactor which delivers clean, low-cost and reliable energy that complements renewables such as wind and solar. MoltexFLEX plans to have the first FLEX reactor operational around the turn of the decade. For more information, visit www.moltexflex.com.
About the Nuclear Industry AssociationAs the trade association for the civil nuclear industry in the UK, the Nuclear Industry Association represents around 270 companies across the UK’s nuclear supply chain. For more details, visit www.nia.org.
Media inquiries: Rob Loveday Communications Officer, MoltexFLEX +44 7815 866313 robloveday@moltexenergy.com
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