The government of England and Wales has revealed its intention to ease the building of mini nuclear power stations, or small modular reactors, throughout the country. This move is part of a broader scheme to increase economic growth, by breaking down the “archaic” planning laws, which ministers believe have acted as obstacles, preventing England and Wales from leading the pack in the race to secure clean, secure, and affordable energy. The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, said that England and Wales had been stagnating, due to the failure to build a nuclear power station for decades, and that the implementation of these plans will create highly skilled jobs in the country. Trade unions and business groups have lauded the policy. However, environmentalists have criticized the measure, accusing the government of accepting nuclear industry propaganda completely.
At the peak of its usage in the 1990s, nuclear power constituted over a quarter of the United Kingdom’s electricity generation, yet this capacity has fallen to just over 15% in recent years. Furthermore, many of the country’s aging reactors are due for decommissioning within the following decade. SMRs, or small modular reactors, are “mini” nuclear power facilities that are cheaper and smaller than their traditional counterparts, producing smaller quantities of energy. Consequently, the implementation of these reactors is yet to be recognized globally as a commercial success, despite around eighty different designs being developed.
On Thursday, the government shared plans to include SMRs in planning regulations, for the first time. The existing list of eight places designated for nuclear reactor construction sites will also be lifted. The UK’s current methods of building full-scale nuclear power stations can be painfully slow, and from inception to activation, typically takes almost two decades. Sir Keir remarked that Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, had held the UK’s energy security hostage for too long, resulting in prices increasing arbitrarily. He pledged to halt these issues, simultaneously backing the builders of the nation and rejecting the blockers who have abated their ability to harness cheaper energy, growth, and jobs.
The process of reviewing the rules governing the construction of nuclear reactors was initiated under Rishi Sunak’s Conservative administration, which opened the consultation in January 2024. Subsequently, ministers indicated that in terms of construction costs, the United Kingdom was among the most expensive in the world. The creation of a Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce is another measure to speed up the licensing of new designs for reactors, as well as streamlining engagement between regulators and the developers. While the benefits of regular, reliable, baseload nuclear power are widely recognized, the construction of a nuclear plant is extraordinarily expensive.
The Head of the Nuclear Industry Association, Tom Greatrex, described these reforms as the “strongest signal yet” towards growth and clean power. Gary Smith, General Secretary of the GMB Union commented, stating “there can be no net zero without new nuclear”. Sizewell C, the site in Suffolk where Boris Johnson, the then-Prime Minister, pledged a new nuclear reactor in 2022, is ready, and waiting for government approval to be powered up. Hinkley Point C in Somerset is under construction, and the two new nuclear reactors constructed there are set to open in 2030. The final decision on the design of mini nuclear reactors will be released at the same time as a spending review, later in the year. Likewise, the government has not yet reached a final decision on Sizewell C
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