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42-563: At the time, AEA Europe's operational staff numbered around 400, located at five UK sites. After the merger, AEA continue under the leadership of Robert Bell, reporting to Martin Fausset, managing director of Ricardo UK. In 2012, the assets acquired generated annual revenues of £39 million and delivered profit margins similar to those of the rest of the Ricardo group. AEA Technology plc was an energy and environmental consultancy business, formed in 1996 as

84-710: A Romanian subsidiary in Bucharest (AEA Mediu); this was shut down in April 2009. The company was voted best Consultancy for Climate Change and Renewables in the EDIE Awards 2007. AEA made 60 redundancies in 2010, reducing its cost base by 10%. The company saw a continuing slump in its share price: from 277p in November 2003 to around 0.4p in January 2012. Shares lost up to one third of their value during 2010 and were even temporarily suspended on

126-606: A commercial enterprise and become self-financing. The authority was then split again by the Atomic Energy Authority Act 1995 , with the more commercial parts transferred into a public company AEA Technology , which was then floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1996. The nuclear facilities used for the UK's research and development programme, which held large decommissioning liabilities, were retained. The role of

168-553: A contractor organisation for UKAEA and other governmental and private customers. AEA divested all of the nuclear-related elements of its business, along with other non-core elements such as its rail business, where they had acquired NS Technisch Onderzoek among others .The Dutch branch was later sold and is now called DEKRA Rail BV. The UK branch of the rail business is now called Resonate Group Ltd (previously DeltaRail Group Ltd), having been sold to secondary private equity investment firms. AEA's profitable engineering software business

210-516: A prototype powerplant capable of demonstrating fusion as a viable technology for electricity generation. It uses the compact 'spherical tokamak' concept developed by UKAEA at Culham Centre for Fusion Energy. STEP is currently in a five-year conceptual design phase and is expected to be constructed and operational by 2040. In December 2017, UKAEA announced plans for two further fusion research centres: Hydrogen-3 Advanced Technology (H3AT) and Fusion Technology Facilities. H3AT, located at Culham, will study

252-590: A stake in the Harwell Campus , and is involved in the development of both sites as locations for science and innovation-based business. On its formation in 1954, the authority was responsible for the United Kingdom's entire nuclear programme, both civil and defence, as well as the policing of nuclear sites. It made pioneering developments in nuclear (fission) power, overseeing the development of nuclear technology and performing much scientific research. However, since

294-606: Is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom . It is responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture , fisheries and rural communities in the entire United Kingdom. Concordats set out agreed frameworks for cooperation, between it and the Scottish Government , Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive , which have devolved responsibilities for these matters in their respective nations. Defra also leads for

336-457: Is a member of the co-ordinated R&D programme led by the EUROfusion consortium. UKAEA's Materials Research Facility carries out micro-characterisation of radioactive materials for researchers in both fusion energy and nuclear fission. It is open to users from academic and commercial organisations, aiming to bridge the gap between university laboratories and those at nuclear licensed sites. It

378-729: Is part of the National Nuclear Users' Facility and has received funding from the Henry Royce Institute . On the 14th of October 2022 the Materials Research Facility opened its extension. A partnership between United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and the Science & Technology Facilities Council , Oxfordshire Advanced Skills is an apprentice training centre located at Culham Science Centre. It offers training for technicians in engineering and hi-tech disciplines, with

420-672: Is sustainable development, which is defined as "development which enables all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life without compromising the quality of life of future generations." The Secretary of State wrote in a letter to the Prime Minister that he saw Defra's mission as enabling a move toward what the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has called "one planet living". Under this overarching aim, Defra has five strategic priorities: Defra Headquarters are at 2, Marsham Street , London. It

462-619: The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). The authority focuses on United Kingdom and European fusion energy research programmes at Culham in Oxfordshire , including the world's most powerful operating fusion device, the Joint European Torus (JET). The research aims to develop fusion power as a commercially viable, environmentally responsible energy source for the future. A record 59 megajoules of sustained fusion energy

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504-478: The Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire (head office), London , Risley and Glasgow . In 2001 a sub-division, EHS Solutions, was created with a remit to build an environment, health and safety software business. It acquired the environmental data management system Monitor-Pro and the health and safety software business Lexware . Significant resource was put into product development, but

546-592: The Defra website. Policies for environment, food and rural affairs are delivered in the regions by Defra's executive agencies and delivery bodies, in particular Natural England , the Rural Payments Agency , Animal Health and the Marine Management Organisation . Defra provides grant aid to the following flood and coastal erosion risk management operating authorities : Defra's overarching aim

588-470: The Digital Solutions Business (a small IT sub unit) were merged into the rest of AEA in the UK, creating AEA Consulting (an internal name) or AEA Europe. United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority is a UK government research organisation responsible for the development of fusion energy . It is an executive non-departmental public body of

630-557: The Energy Technology Support Unit (ETSU))". Another former division of AEA Technology was Momenta. This provided services to the public sector, offering services including research management, knowledge transfer, best practice, fund management and behaviour change programmes. Its major programmes included Envirowise for DEFRA and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships for the Technology Strategy Board . Momenta and

672-589: The NDA for the decommissioning work at Dounreay , Harwell , Windscale, Winfrith and the JET facilities at Culham. On 1 April 2008, the Authority announced a major re-structuring to meet its decommissioning obligations with the NDA. A new wholly owned subsidiary, UKAEA Limited , was formed with established expertise from the existing company, to focus on nuclear decommissioning and environmental restoration management and consultancy in

714-553: The UK's nuclear deterrent , including the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment at Aldermaston , directly to the Ministry of Defence . In 1982 the authority was involved in the creation of Nirex , to develop and operate radioactive waste disposal facilities in the United Kingdom. The Atomic Energy Authority Act 1986 put the authority into trading fund mode, requiring it to act and account as though it were

756-464: The United Kingdom and international markets. At the same time, Dounreay Site Restoration Limited (DSRL) was formed out of the existing Authority team at Dounreay and was licensed by the Health and Safety Executive to operate the site and carry out its decommissioning under the Authority's management. DSRL became a subsidiary of United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Limited. In parallel with these changes,

798-490: The United Kingdom on agricultural, fisheries and environmental matters in international negotiations on sustainable development and climate change, although a new Department of Energy and Climate Change was created on 3 October 2008 to take over the last responsibility; later transferred to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy following Theresa May 's appointment as Prime Minister in July 2016. The department

840-608: The authority became to decommission these nuclear assets and to restore the environment around the sites. From the early 1990s the authority completed more decommissioning work than anyone in Europe, and had considerable success in regenerating former nuclear sites for commercial use. Following the Energy Act 2004 , on 1 April 2005 the UK's specialist nuclear police force, the UK Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary ,

882-603: The authority the power "to produce, use and dispose of atomic energy and carry out research into any matters therewith". The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority was formed from the Ministry of Supply, Department of Atomic Energy and inherited its facilities and most of its personnel on its formation. The first chairman was Sir Edwin Plowden , with board members running the three major divisions: The authority inherited nearly 20,000 employees, which doubled to 41,000 by 1961. Most of

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924-581: The authority's early activities were related to the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons programme , and the need for plutonium , highly enriched uranium , and materials for hydrogen bombs . Between 1952 and 1958 UKAEA carried out 21 nuclear weapon tests in Australia and the Pacific. Following the Atomic Energy Authority Act 1971 , the authority was split into three, with only research activities remaining with

966-646: The authority, including its subsidiary companies DSRL and RSRL. In 2009 the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE) was launched as the new name for the home of United Kingdom fusion research. In 2014 UKAEA announced the creation of a new branch of research, using expertise gained from the remote handling system created for JET to form a new centre for robotics known as RACE (Remote Applications in Challenging Environments) . The Authority has continued to expand its facilities at Culham in recent years, with

1008-579: The authority. The Radiochemical Centre Ltd took over production of medical and industrial radioisotopes and was later privatised in 1982 as Amersham plc . British Nuclear Fuels Ltd (BNFL) took over nuclear fuel and weapons material producing activities: the manufacturing plant at Springfields , the enrichment plant at Capenhurst , the spent-fuel facility at Windscale , and the dual-purpose Calder Hall and Chapelcross military plutonium producing reactors. The Atomic Energy Authority (Weapons Group) Act 1973 transferred responsibility for management of

1050-524: The climate team at Defra was merged with the energy team from the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), to create the Department of Energy and Climate Change , then headed by Ed Miliband . Defra ministers are as follows, with cabinet members in bold: On 8 and 9 July 2024, the appointments of Daniel Zeichner as Minister of State and Emma Hardy MP and and Baroness Hayman of Ullock as Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State

1092-456: The early 1970s its areas of work have been gradually reduced, with functions transferred to other government organisations as well as to the private sector. UKAEA has also been involved in undertaking safety and reliability assessments for outside bodies, due to its long running experience in such work within the nuclear field. The authority was established on 19 July 1954 when the Atomic Energy Authority Act 1954 received royal assent and gave

1134-531: The intention of providing employers with highly skilled recruits ready to enter the workplace. Training is provided by the Manufacturing Technology Centre . RACE is a test facility for robotics and autonomous systems. It grew out of UKAEA's remote handling operations at the JET nuclear fusion device, which date back to the 1990s. The UK Government funded the construction of the RACE centre at Culham with

1176-413: The intention of taking the knowledge gained at JET into other industries with 'challenging environments' where it is difficult for humans to perform work. RACE currently works with organisations in nuclear fusion and fission, with large physics facilities and with autonomous vehicle developers. The £220 million STEP programme aims to accelerate the delivery of fusion power to the energy market. STEP will be

1218-429: The market at the time was not sufficiently mature, and in 2006 Monitor-Pro was divested, followed by the former Lexware systems. AEA Technology was fined £250,000 for transporting a 2.5 tonne cobalt gamma radiation source from Cookridge Hospital, Leeds to Sellafield with defective shielding on 11 March 2002. The company is no longer involved in the transportation of nuclear material. In August 2006, AEA established

1260-630: The opening of a Materials Research Facility in 2016 and creation of the Oxfordshire Advanced Skills apprentice training centre. United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority states its mission as "To lead the delivery of sustainable fusion energy and maximise the scientific and economic benefit." Its research programmes include a number of laboratories and other facilities at the Culham site. The UK's national laboratory for fusion research, CCFE undertakes plasma theory and modelling studies to establish

1302-582: The physics basis for future fusion powerplants. It also studies the materials and engineering technology of tokamak fusion reactors. The centrepiece of CCFE's programme is the MAST Upgrade spherical tokamak experiment - the successor to the MAST device - which is expected to begin operation in 2019. CCFE also operates and maintains the Joint European Torus (JET) for its research partners around Europe, and

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1344-554: The privatised offshoot of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). It was a constituent of the FTSE Fledgling Index . Originally it consisted of divisions with expertise in a wide variety of areas, mostly the products of nuclear-related research. These included nuclear safety , nuclear engineering , environmental protection , battery technology and non-destructive testing. It mainly acted as

1386-632: The processing and storage of tritium, one of the two fuels expected to supply commercial fusion reactors. The Fusion Technology Facilities, based at both Culham and at a new UKAEA Yorkshire site in Rotherham , South Yorkshire , carries out thermal, mechanical, hydraulic and electromagnetic tests on prototype components to replicate the conditions experienced inside fusion reactors. Authority site locations: Historical site locations: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs ( Defra )

1428-533: The site at Windscale in Cumbria was transferred to Sellafield Ltd , a site licence company under contract to the NDA, following close review and scrutiny by the Health and Safety Executive and environmental and security regulators. The majority of authority employees at the site transferred to Sellafield Ltd. On 2 February 2009, the authority announced the next stage in restructuring. Research Sites Restoration Limited (RSRL),

1470-461: The small remaining company, was transferred to the UK Government's Pension Protection Fund . Ricardo-AEA was formed by acquisition of AEA Technology. AEA Technology included a division previously known as the Energy Technology Support Unit (ETSU); many reports published under this name are still in circulation. AEA Technology, for a time, included branding as "Future Energy Solutions (incorporating

1512-471: The stock exchange. Andrew McCree quit as CEO in November 2011 and was replaced by John Lowry as Interim CEO. Lowry had previously been involved in the National Health Service as a restructuring advisor. AEA Technology went into administration in 2012. Ricardo took on the environmental business and staff. The company's large pension liability, dating from when it was much larger and unsupportable by

1554-566: Was announced, but initially without details of specific portfolios within Defra. The Permanent Secretary is Tamara Finkelstein , who replaced Clare Moriarty in 2019. Defra is responsible for British Government policy in the following areas Some policies apply to England alone due to devolution , while others are not devolved and therefore apply to the United Kingdom as a whole. The department's executive agencies are: The department's key delivery partners are: A full list of departmental delivery and public bodies may be found on

1596-542: Was demonstrated by scientists and engineers working on JET in December 2021. In JET’s final deuterium-tritium experiments ( DTE3 ), high fusion power was consistently produced for 5 seconds, resulting in a ground-breaking record of 69 megajoules using a mere 0.2 milligrams of fuel. JET has now ceased operating and decommissioning has commenced. United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority owns the Culham Science Centre and has

1638-513: Was formed from the existing teams at Harwell in Oxfordshire and Winfrith in Dorset and licensed by the Health and Safety Executive to operate those sites. RSRL continued the decommissioning programmes for Harwell and Winfrith on behalf of the NDA. RSRL also became a subsidiary of UKAEA Limited. In October 2009, Babcock International Group plc acquired UKAEA Limited , the nuclear clean-up subsidiary of

1680-622: Was formed in June 2001, under the leadership of Margaret Beckett , when the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) was merged with part of the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) and with a small part of the Home Office . It was created after the perceived failure of MAFF to deal adequately with an outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease . The department had about 9,000 core personnel, as of January 2008 . In October 2008,

1722-627: Was reconstituted as the Civil Nuclear Constabulary . Responsibility for the force was also removed from the authority and transferred to the Civil Nuclear Police Authority . The 2004 Act also established the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), which on 1 April 2005 took ownership and responsibility for the liabilities relating to the cleanup of UK nuclear sites. The authority became a contractor for

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1764-439: Was split into two and sold to Aspen Technology (Hyprotech) and Ansys (CFX). In addition to environmental consultancy, the company also works in the knowledge transfer and programme management areas. The business is organised around a mesh style "communities" structure which includes knowledge leadership (key technical consultants), project management, IT, marketing and sales. The company's main UK operations are located at

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