Abstract
If the nuclear electricity generation is to play a significant role in the decarbonisation of the advanced economies in line with international commitments, construction rates will have to be achieved that are much greater than those achieved historically. This will require a root and branch reassessment of the nuclear technology base to maximise achievable industrial mobilisation. It is important to avoid ‘reactor chauvinism’ that might constrain us to technologies that whilst suited for regular times are un-suited to a challenge of this scale. A conceptual design for a CANDU reactor conventional island is proposed in this work. The design economises on components with laborious fabrication requirements, such as tubed heat exchangers, as well as leveraging developments in other sectors such as power electronics, and its potential performance is evaluated.