The UK Government has announced plans to scrap archaic regulations governing nuclear power in England and Wales, in a bid to accelerate construction of new plants – including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).
Under the reforms, SMRs will be allowed for the first time, paving the way for more flexible, smaller nuclear projects to be built quickly across a wider range of locations. Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the changes will also cut red tape for larger nuclear projects – ensuring new reactors can be developed without the delays and escalating costs that have previously hindered the sector.
The updated planning rules, part of the Government’s ‘Plan for Change’, promise to ease the UK’s reliance on volatile global energy markets by boosting domestically-sourced electricity. For a long time, advocates of nuclear have noted that it could play a key role in moving electricity generation away from fossil fuels, and claim the technology offers a far more reliable supply compared to renewables, although whether it can be referred to as a ‘baseload’ generator, remains a point of contention.
How the Government plans to unleash nuclear
Under the new strategy towards nuclear, the Government has vowed to:
- Include SMRs in planning rules for the first time – enabling developers to propose smaller reactors in areas with high energy demand.
- Scrap the limited list of eight pre-approved nuclear sites – expanding potential locations across England and Wales.
- Remove expiry dates on nuclear planning rules – allowing longer-term project planning without deadlines running out.
- Set up a Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce – reporting directly to the Prime Minister, to streamline nuclear regulation while maintaining safety and security.
Upon making the announcement, Starmer noted, “This country hasn’t built a nuclear power station in decades. we’ve been let down, and left behind. Our energy security has been hostage to Putin for too long, with British prices skyrocketing at his whims.
“I’m putting an end to it – changing the rules to back the builders of this nation, and saying no to the blockers who have strangled our chances of cheaper energy, growth and jobs for far too long.
“My government was elected to deliver change. I’ll take the radical decisions needed to wrestle Britain from its status quo slumber, to turbocharge our plan for change.”
Since 2011, nuclear development has been restricted to just eight designated sites under planning rules that critics have claimed are out-of-date. By removing the outdated list, the Government hopes to accelerate proposals by enabling developers themselves to identify the best sites for their projects.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband commented, “Build, build, build – that is what Britain’s clean energy mission is all about.
“The British people have been left vulnerable to global energy markets for too long – and the only way out is to build our way to a new era of clean electricity.
“Nuclear power creating thousands of skilled jobs. That is what this government will deliver.”
The reforms will also establish a specialist taskforce to examine how nuclear regulation can better support swift and cost-effective project delivery, without compromising the UK’s rigorous safety standards. It will explore fast-tracking approvals for reactor designs already cleared by trusted international regulators and reducing duplication across overlapping regulatory authorities.
Where could nuclear growth come from?
While removing the limit on new nuclear sites from the previous eight pre-approved sites, you may be left wondering where all the new nuclear power stations will be built. After all, those locations were all designed to house projects similar to Sizewell C.
What we’re more likely to see, however, is that rather than being inundated with a whole host of new large nuclear sites, we’re going to see an uptick in demand for SMRs – which is clearly what the Government is hoping to see with these changes.
As part of the Government’s announcement into the changes, it invited large tech firms to develop SMRs to help power their AI-ready data centres – hoping to address the power concerns that the industry has highlighted as a threat to the UK Government’s bold AI plans.
While there have been growing industry discussions around the use of nuclear power to power data centres, and Equinix’s Bruce Owen even believed that talk of SMRs will ramp up in 2025 as part of his predictions, thus far not a single data centre has been connected to an SMR. That hasn’t stopped a raft of agreements being signed between various parties to develop the technology, however.
How long we’ll have to wait to see the first SMR project in the UK is anyone’s guess, however. While the Government will be hoping that its new rules will help the country ‘build, build, build’, Rolls-Royce still expects that its first SMR in the UK won’t be operational until 2030 at the earliest.
Industry reaction to the UK Government’s announcement
Darren Hardman, CEO, Microsoft UK, which has its own nuclear project in the US, commented, “We welcome the government’s plans to accelerate the building of safe, modern nuclear as part of the energy mix. Economic growth will require increased energy supply for the UK, but we must not lose sight of our ambitions for a fully decarbonised grid.”
Alistair Black, Senior Director, UK at X-energy, added, “Opening up new siting opportunities for a fleet of advanced reactors will help unlock tens of billions of pounds of investment and growth across the country, bringing clean secure electricity and heat for industry.
“We welcome this step today, and the intent to streamline assessment processes whilst ensuring robust regulatory standards continue to be met. We look forward to reviewing this in detail and responding to the consultation.
Simone Rossi, CEO of EDF in the UK, said, “As a major operator, investor and developer, EDF welcomes the proposals designed to speed up new nuclear projects in the UK and unlock economic growth.
“Nuclear is essential to a secure, low carbon energy system and is the ideal partner to renewables. There is a great opportunity to build new infrastructure across England and Wales, to replace aging stations and take advantage of available skills, existing grid connections and supportive communities.
“The opportunity will only be fully realised with the necessary reforms to planning and regulation, alongside continuing to build on the critical work at Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C to further develop skills and supply chains.”
Julian David OBE, CEO, techUK concluded, “If we want the UK economy to keep growing, we must invest in our energy infrastructure. We are pleased to see the Government announce new plans to reform planning rules to expand new energy generation. This move will boost the economy, create new jobs, and ensure the UK is not reliant on external agents for its own energy supply.: