Guest: James Lee, Chief Operating Officer, Bentley Systems
Interviewed by: Antony Oliver

In this week's episode we’re taking a closer look at infrastructure’s use of data – how emerging digital technologies and AI tools are shaping and transforming the way we manage our built and natural environment.

To help me I am joined by James Lee, the new Chief Operating Officer at global infrastructure giant Bentley Systems  in a quiet corner of the annual Year in Infrastructure tech gathering and celebration in Amsterdam.

A series of "radical, root-cause solutions" is required to simplify the UK's nuclear regulatory system in order to speed up the construction of new nuclear projects at a lower cost and on time, an independent taskforce has concluded.

More than 15,000 tonnes of crushed concrete generated from the demolition of the turbine hall at the shutdown Sizewell A nuclear power plant in Suffolk, England, is to be used in the construction of the new Sizewell C plant.

The UK government has announced that Wylfa on the island of Anglesey, North Wales, will host three Rolls-Royce small modular reactors. It said the site - where a Magnox plant is being decommissioned - could potentially host up to eight SMRs.

"Sitting on the North Wales coast, Wylfa has a strong nuclear heritage dating back to the 1960s," the government said. "The first-of-its-kind project is expected to support up to 3,000 good jobs in the local community at peak construction, underpinned by billions of pounds of infrastructure investment out to the mid-2030s."

EDF remains Britain’s biggest generator of zero-carbon electricity, producing more than double the output of its nearest competitor and supplying 17% of the UK’s total power[i].

In its latest Sustainable Business Update, EDF highlights progress in building the infrastructure and solutions that will power Britain’s future. From large-scale generation to smart technologies for homes and businesses, EDF is enabling the electrification of everyday life, helping customers cut carbon and costs while strengthening the nation’s energy independence.

The figures show that global nuclear electricity generation is set to achieve a record high in 2025, and with more countries turning to nuclear to meet their energy needs, the industry's future looks promising, the World Nuclear Exhibition in Paris has heard.

The UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation has granted formal consent to EDF Energy to decommission the Hinkley Point B nuclear power plant in Somerset, England.

Hinkley Point B - comprising two Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors (AGRs) - was first synchronised to the electricity grid in February 1976. The plant generated more than 311 terawatt-hours of electricity before it was permanently shut down in August 2022. Since then, both reactors at the site have been defueled in advance of the site moving into its decommissioning phase.

Shifting environmental requirements are "reigniting interest" in nuclear propulsion as a long-term solution for maritime decarbonisation, according to Norwegian classification society DNV. However, it says significant challenges remain to be met before nuclear propulsion can become a viable solution.

Sizewell C has published its first Annual Sustainability Report, setting out how the UK’s newest nuclear power station – the first majority British-owned plant in decades – will deliver lasting benefits for people, communities, and nature.

Almost two years into construction, the project now employs nearly 2,000 people on site and is driving investment across the UK. More than 400 British suppliers have secured contracts worth £2.8 billion, including £126 million awarded locally in Suffolk.

The report shows Sizewell C is on track to:

Sizewell C, the first new nuclear project globally to be financed with independent, private financial investors, has today reached Financial Close.

Small modular reactor company Terrestrial Energy Inc has signed a manufacturing and supply contract with Westinghouse subsidiary Springfields Fuels Limited for the design and construction of an Integral Molten Salt Reactor fuel pilot plant.

Guest:  Chris Williamson, President of RIBA, the Royal Institute of British Architects and founder of Weston Williamson + Partners.
Interviewed by: Antony Oliver

In today’s episode we turn our attention to architecture and its role in shaping not just our buildings and infrastructure, but the society, environment and communities that are created by our built environment.