A new centre for low-carbon research

Initial construction has been completed on a new industrial research facility to help manufacturers across the Midlands win work in growing low-carbon markets and develop new sustainable technologies.

Senior figures from the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear AMRC) and partners visited the site at Infinity Park Derby on November 9^th  to mark the topping out of the £20 million building.

The new Nuclear AMRC Midlands facility will provide a permanent base in Derby for the University of Sheffield’s Nuclear AMRC, part of the UK’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult, and a new home for the University of Derby’s Institute for Innovation in Sustainable Engineering (IISE).

Andrew Storer, CEO of the Nuclear AMRC, said: “It’s fantastic to see the progress that’s been made on our new facility, especially when the UN climate change conference in Egypt is again highlighting the urgency of reducing emissions from all parts of the global economy. As a nation, we need to build a new generation of low-carbon power plants, and we need to move industry to more sustainable manufacturing and engineering practices.

“The research that will be carried out in this facility will help tackle both of those challenges, and support manufacturers in Derby and beyond to seize the opportunities of the energy transition. I look forward to working with local industry, academic and government partners to deliver sustainable growth in the Midlands for generations to come.”

The pilot Nuclear AMRC Midlands opened in 2019 in the iHub on Infinity Park (now the home of the Nuclear Skills Academy led by Rolls-Royce and the University of Derby).

“Our pilot centre at iHub was a great success, and has helped start the snowball effect of creating a real community for industry and innovation at Infinity Park,” Storer added. “Along with our role in securing the Nuclear Skills Academy on the park, I am really proud of the role the Nuclear AMRC is playing to develop long-lasting support for the supply chain in the Midlands.”

The new 4,300m² facility will build on its work by expanding the centre’s capabilities in technology areas to help UK manufacturers win work in the nuclear supply chain.

While the Nuclear AMRC’s original facility in South Yorkshire focuses on mechanical manufacturing processes for power plant components, Nuclear AMRC Midlands specialises in emerging technology areas including digital engineering, control and instrumentation systems, and additive manufacturing.

The new building, designed by Stephen George + Partners and built by Stepnell, is based around a large open-plan workshop which will host a flexible range of state-of-the-art manufacturing and research equipment, with ten metre ceilings and 50 tonne cranes to allow work on large fabrications and assemblies.

Nuclear AMRC laboratory facilities will include dedicated space for 3D printing and rapid prototyping, virtual reality and visualisation, and equipment qualification. The building will also include dedicated space for engaging with local schools and colleges, to help encourage young people to consider careers in science and engineering.

The University of Derby’s IISE will occupy around a quarter of the building. IISE specialises in developing sustainable life-cycle design and manufacturing processes for products, serving a range of sectors from transport to healthcare to help reduce their environmental impact. IISE offers collaborative innovation and research using a range of equipment for design, manufacture and testing, supported by specialist expertise to include advanced manufacturing, computational modelling of materials and structures, life cycle management and data science.

Professor Warren Manning, provost for innovation and research at the University of Derby, said: “We are delighted that the University’s Institute for Innovation in Sustainable Engineering will be co-located with the Nuclear AMRC, offering huge collaboration potential for organisations to work together to develop the skills and capability required to support government objectives linked to net zero and manufacturing growth, and strengthening the wider D2N2 region’s position as a key advanced manufacturing and innovation hub for the UK and beyond.”

Around 30 researchers, engineers and support staff will work at the new facility when it opens in spring 2023, growing to at least 70 within five years.

Nuclear AMRC

www.namrc.co.uk

University of Derby

www.derby.ac.uk