Cumbria is being mooted as a proposed location for a new nuclear power plant as the Government reveals its biggest expansion of nuclear power in 70 years.
Its Civil Nuclear Roadmap, published today, said a new plant would increase homegrown supplies by up to four times by 2050.
It is in response to the Ukraine War – and wants to increase the UK’s security of supply to protect the country from price volatility and hostile foreign regimes and bolster the country’s energy independence.
The BBC is reporting that Moorside, next to Sellafield and a site in Anglesey are among the locations being considered for the new plant.
Two consultations have also been published today, one on a new approach to siting future nuclear power stations and another on supporting the sector and encouraging private investment to roll out advanced nuclear projects.
Nuclear power currently provides around 15% of the UK’s electricity.
The Government said: “The proposals will attract investment in the UK nuclear sector by empowering developers to find suitable sites rather than focusing on eight designated by Government. Community engagement will remain critical to any decisions, alongside maintaining robust criteria such as nearby population densities.”
The Civil Nuclear Roadmap will give industry certainty of the future direction of the UK’s ambitious nuclear programme, on top of the Government’s historic commitment to Sizewell C and world-leading competition to develop small modular reactor (SMR) technology, it said.
The Government will also invest up to £300 million in UK production of the fuel required to power high-tech new nuclear reactors, known as HALEU, currently only commercially produced in Russia.
As the first country in Europe to launch a HALEU programme, the UK will lead the way from its North West production hub to provide the world with this form of uranium fuel, with the first plant aiming to be operational early in the next decade.
An additional £10 million will be provided to develop the skills and sites needed to produce other advanced nuclear fuels in the UK, helping to secure long term domestic nuclear fuel supply and support our allies.
The roadmap also includes an ambition to secure 3GW to 7GW worth of investment decisions every five years from 2030 to 2044 on new nuclear projects.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Nuclear is the perfect antidote to the energy challenges facing Britain – it’s green, cheaper in the long term and will ensure the UK’s energy security for the long-term.
“This is the right long-term decision and is the next step in our commitment to nuclear power, which puts us on course to achieve net zero by 2050 in a measured and sustainable way.
“This will ensure our future energy security and create the jobs and skills we need to level up the country and grow our economy.”
Following its launch last year, Great British Nuclear will drive the UK’s nuclear ambitions forward, including through the game-changing SMR competition which will soon invite short-listed companies to tender.
Unlike conventional nuclear reactors that are built on site, SMRs are smaller, can be made in factories, and could transform how power stations are built by making construction faster and less expensive. Alongside large gigawatt power stations, SMRs will play a key role in delivering on the expansion of UK nuclear capacity.
As well as powering homes, innovations in the nuclear sector could provide direct heat for industry, energy for green hydrogen production, and medical isotopes for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Analysis by the Nuclear Skills Strategy Group suggests that to reach up to 24GW, the civil and defence nuclear workforce will need to double over the next 20 years – supporting around 80,000 additional skilled jobs across the UK.
The Nuclear Skills Taskforce will shortly set out plans to meet the demand of an industry – already worth £6 billion to the British economy – which is likely to include increasing the numbers of graduates and apprentices and attracting mid-careerists with relevant skills and expertise.
Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said: “We welcome the publication of the roadmap – the commitment to explore a further large-scale project beyond Sizewell C in parallel with the deployment of SMRs is very welcome.
“We will need both large and small nuclear at scale and at pace for our energy security and net zero future. Allowing developers to engage with the Government about Regulated Asset Base funding models should also make it cheaper to finance projects, cutting costs to the consumer. Decisions on 3-7GW in each five-year period provide the greater clarity and predictability, which in turn enables supply chain investment and more UK content in the future fleet.
“The commitments to maximise our use of regulatory assessments already undertaken overseas will help get innovative reactor designs into construction faster and reduce the duplication in regulatory activity that eats up time for no additional benefit.”
Gwen Parry-Jones, CEO of Great British Nuclear, said: “Since Great British Nuclear started the SMR technical selection process last July, we have moved strongly forward and are on track to complete vendor selection later this year. Shortly we will invite the six companies we have selected to submit tenders.
The Civil Nuclear Roadmap provides a framework for GBN to help deliver more safe, clean and affordable UK nuclear power to UK consumers. Together with industry, we will enthusiastically take up the role the Government has set out for us in delivering and advising across the UK’s nuclear programme. We are actively building GBN’s capability to take on the challenge ahead.”
