Sources & References

▸CFF uses High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors (HTGRs) operating at 750°C with helium coolant and TRISO fuel

▸HTGRs are "walkaway safe" — passive decay heat removal without operator intervention or external power

TRISO-coated fuel particles retain radionuclides at extreme temperatures. Negative temperature coefficient shuts the reactor down automatically if overheating occurs. No water under pressure means no steam explosion risk.

▸China's HTR-PM is a working HTGR that achieved full power in 2023

▸The Fingleton Review (2025) found the UK is the most expensive place in the world to build nuclear power stations, due to regulatory gold-plating

The government accepted all 47 recommendations and pledged a "radical reset" of nuclear regulation by end of 2027.

▸Hinkley Point C is costing approximately £48 billion (2024 prices) for a single nuclear power station that only produces electricity

£35 billion in 2015 prices per EDF's February 2026 results, equivalent to approximately £46–48 billion in current prices after inflation adjustment.

▸CFF sites cost £15 billion (FOAK — First-Of-A-Kind) but produce hydrogen, heat, desalinated water, and electricity — not just electricity alone

The £15B FOAK figure is the most expensive site. Later sites benefit from the fleet effect — proven design, trained workforce, and mature supply chain reduce costs progressively.

▸North Sea oil & gas decommissioning will cost approximately £20–23 billion over the next decade

Over 500 wells are currently overdue for decommissioning, with 1,700+ additional wells expected to require plugging and abandonment. Delays risk shifting liability to taxpayers.

▸HS2 has cost over £100 billion and has been cut in half

▸High-Temperature Steam Electrolysis (HTSE) uses waste heat from reactors to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, achieving higher efficiency than conventional electrolysis

At 850°C, HTSE achieves a theoretical efficiency of 64% (225 MJ/kg H₂). The 750°C HTGR outlet temperature is ideal for coupling with solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs), currently at TRL 7–8.

▸UK Hydrogen Strategy published August 2021 — government target of 10 GW hydrogen production by 2030

▸Each CFF site produces 2,072 tonnes of hydrogen per day from 48 HTGR modules

Derived from the thermal output of 48 × 600 MWt HTGR modules, with process heat directed to HTSE electrolysis banks. The oxygen byproduct has 10 identified industrial uses detailed on the homepage.

▸Hydrogen has been produced, transported, and stored industrially for over a century. The UK already has hydrogen pipelines

▸Copenhagen's district heating network covers 98% of the city's heating demand, serving over 1 million inhabitants across 25 municipalities

The system uses nearly 3,000 km of pipes and is 85% CO₂-neutral, with a goal of 100% by the early 2030s. Nationally, 64.5% of Danish households are connected to district heating.

▸CFF's "Heat Halo" — district heating piped from reactor waste heat to surrounding homes at £500/year

Waste heat from HTGR reactors that would otherwise be rejected to the environment is captured and distributed. The Copenhagen model proves this works at city scale. Average UK gas heating bill is approximately £1,000–1,200/year, so £500 represents a substantial saving.

▸Bottom trawling releases approximately 370 million tonnes of CO₂ annually — comparable to global aviation

The 2024 Frontiers in Marine Science study builds on the landmark 2021 Nature paper. The CO₂ figure relates to disturbance of carbon stored in ocean sediments — the largest carbon sink on the planet.

▸An estimated 300,000 cetaceans (dolphins, whales, porpoises) are killed as bycatch every year worldwide

▸An estimated 720,000 seabirds are killed annually as bycatch in longline, trawl, and gillnet fisheries

▸Magnuson-Stevens Act (US) mandates bycatch minimisation — National Standard 9

The Magnuson-Stevens Act is the primary US federal legislation governing marine fisheries, with National Standard 9 specifically requiring conservation measures to minimise bycatch "to the extent practicable."

▸UK fishing fleet employs approximately 6,500 full-time equivalent workers across 3,889 active vessels (2023)

Down from 39,000 in 1938. Total UK-registered vessels in 2024: 5,232 — a 52% reduction since 1994. 79% of vessels are under 10 metres.

▸Avocados require approximately 800 litres of water per kilogram (global average)

The CFF aquaponics system uses desalinated water from the reactor complex, eliminating reliance on imported produce and its embedded water footprint.

▸CFF's Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) produces fish and vegetables in a closed-loop system using waste heat and desalinated water

▸Natural gas accounted for approximately 26–27% of UK electricity generation in 2024

Wind energy led the mix at ~30%, nuclear contributed ~14%, and the UK's final coal plant (Ratcliffe-on-Soar) closed in September 2024.

▸CFF provides up to ~50 GW of firm, dispatchable backup power that doesn't depend on weather, imports, or fossil fuels

This represents the total dispatchable electrical capacity across all 28 CFF sites operating at full build-out. Unlike wind and solar, this power is available 24/7/365 regardless of weather.

▸A "Dunkelflaute" — a period of days or weeks with no wind and no sunshine — left Germany firing up coal plants in 2024

▸Wind turbines are designed for a 20–30 year operational lifespan, with output declining ~1.6% annually

Maintenance costs rise from 10–15% of levelised cost of electricity in early years to as much as 35% toward end of life. Turbine blades (fiberglass) remain a significant recycling challenge.

▸Replacing an offshore wind farm costs nearly as much as building it in the first place — and the replacement only lasts another 25 years

By contrast, a CFF site costs £15 billion (FOAK) and is designed for a minimum 200-year operational life with modular replacement of components.

▸85–95% of a wind turbine's mass is recyclable (steel, copper, aluminium), but fiberglass blades are a major waste problem

▸CFF creates approximately 500,000 jobs across the full 28-site programme

Includes direct construction, permanent operational roles, supply chain, aquaponics/food processing, district heating maintenance, and the indirect economic multiplier effect.

▸North Sea decommissioning could support 25,000–30,000 UK jobs if executed urgently

Approximately 15,000 current oil and gas workers face a "cliff edge" of unemployment as production winds down. CFF offers a direct skills bridge for these workers.

▸28 CFF sites across the UK, each with 48 HTGR modules producing 3.6 GWe

▸Total programme cost approximately £425 billion — self-funding after first few sites through revenue generation

Revenue streams include hydrogen sales, grid electricity, district heating subscriptions, desalinated water, and aquaponics produce. Each site generates income from commissioning onward.

▸Each site designed for a minimum 200-year operational life with modular component replacement

Individual reactor modules have a 60-year design life but are replaced modularly within a permanent civil structure. The site itself — containment buildings, turbine halls, hydrogen plants, pipe networks — is designed for multi-century use, similar to Victorian infrastructure still in service today.

▸CFF is 100% publicly owned through a new Great British Energy Corporation — no foreign equity, no private profit extraction