- Date released: 24 January 2025
- Request Number: 202412068
- Release of information under: FOI
Information requested
Under the Freedom of Information Act please can I request the number of ONR staff hours broken down by grade which have been spent on the USNC reactor over last 3 years.
Information released
We confirm that under s.1 of the FOIA, we do not hold the information specified in your request. We hope the below information will help to explain why this is the case.
Since January 2022, ONR staff have spent time on the Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) reactor through two phases of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) sponsored Advanced Modular Reaction (AMR) Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) programme. The purpose of the AMR RD&D programme is to support delivery of High Temperature Gas Reactor (HTGR) technology by the early 2030s, to be sited in the UK, in time for potential AMRs to support net zero ambitions by 2050.
AMR RD&D Phase A ran from April 2022 to March 2023. AMR RD&D Phase B commenced in April 2023 and is planned to conclude in March 2025.
ONR staff time spent providing advice and guidance to DESNZ (as well as the former Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) and engagement with the participating organisations was recorded under a single time recording code for each AMR RD&D phase. This means that we do not hold a total figure or breakdown of the hours of ONR staff time spent engaging specifically about or with USNC for either phase.
Exemptions applied
N/A
PIT (Public Interest Test) if applicable
N/A