RACE wins contract to establish new robotics facility

RACE Building Exterior

RACE is pleased to announce that they have won the contract to establish a new, national facility that supports nuclear robotics research and development in the UK.

The aim of the National Nuclear User Facility for Hot Robotics (NNUF-HR) is to support the UK ambitions for cheaper, faster decommissioning, nuclear new-build, advanced modular fission reactors and future fusion powerplants.

Due to open in 2023, the facility will be based across four UK locations:

  • Remote Applications for Challenging Environments (RACE) at UKAEA, Culham, Oxfordshire
  • The University of Bristol’s Fenswood facility
  • The National Nuclear Laboratory’s Workington Laboratory
  • The University of Manchester’s Dalton Cumbria facility

As well as being able to build on existing infrastructure and relationships, the chosen locations are ideally placed to access key nuclear sites and related organisations.

The NNUF-HR will provide opportunities for academia and industry to utilise cutting-edge equipment and expertise:

  • Universities and industrial partners will be able to book both space and equipment in the facility for supported experiments, demonstrations and technology certification
  • Users will be able to hire-out ‘containerised’ robotic solutions to facilitate development, integration and testing of new capabilities, control algorithms and sensory add-on

Nick Sykes, Head of Decommissioning at RACE, said:

“NNUF-HR gives users the tools they need to demonstrate what is possible and increase the routine use of robotics in nuclear and other highly hazardous environments.”

Rob Buckingham, Head of RACE, added:

“This announcement illustrates the growing demand for robotics. The UK are world-leaders in the field and this new facility will enable this position to be maintained.”

There are three upcoming town-hall meetings for interested parties to become a participating user of NNUF-HR. This facility will provide a significant opportunity for researchers to gain access to cutting-edge robotics equipment to support their research and development.

Bristol Town Hall meeting
December 17 2019
10:30am – 3:00pm
Bristol Robotics Laboratory

Warrington Town Hall meeting
January 7th 2020
10:30am-3pm
Engine Rooms, Birchwood

Cumbria Town Hall meeting
Friday 17 January 2020
10.30am – 3.00pm
Cumbria LEP Conference Centre

Keep up to date with what's going on at RACE