We welcome today's Government announcement steps to advance nuclear power through reforms to planning rules. These changes will clear the path for Small Modular Reactors to be built at a wider range of locations in the UK.
However we also urge the Government to pick up the pace further to deliver on promises of new highly-skilled jobs and clean, secure and more affordable energy.
President of the Nuclear Institute, Dr Fiona Rayment OBE FREng FNucI commented:
“The nuclear industry has a crucial role to play in meeting the government security, energy and growth ambitions. We stand ready to help them achieve this.”
The key developments are:
- Including Small Modular Reactors in planning rules for the first time, so firms can start building them in the places that need them.
- Scrapping the set list of 8-sites – which meant nuclear sites could be built anywhere across England and Wales.
- Removing the expiry date on nuclear planning rules, so projects don’t get timed out and industry can plan for the long term.
Currently, nuclear development is restricted to eight sites - as part of "archaic" planning rules that haven’t been looked at since 2011. With the reforms unveiled today, the refreshed planning framework will help streamline the process to encourage investment and enable developers to identify the best sites for their projects, supporting development at a wider range of locations.
Developers will be encouraged to bring forward sites as soon as possible at the pre-application stage in the planning process, speeding up overall timelines.
It will include new nuclear technologies such as small and advanced modular reactors for the first time, providing flexibility to co-locate them with energy intensive industrial sites such as AI data centres. These technologies are cheaper and quicker to build than traditional nuclear power plants and require smaller sites, meaning they can be built in a greater variety of locations.
There will also continue to be robust criteria for nuclear reactor locations, including restrictions near densely populated areas and military activity, alongside community engagement and high environmental standards.
The NI had previously advocated for the inclusion of SMRs in the Government's Siting Consultation in 2024, through the proposed EN-7 National Planning Statement.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
This country hasn’t built a nuclear power station in decades. we’ve been let down, and left behind.
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.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:
Build, build, build - that is what Britain’s clean energy mission is all about.
Nuclear power creating thousands of skilled jobs. That is what this government will deliver.
Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce to incentivise investment
Setting up a Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce – that will spearhead improvements to the regulations to help more companies build here. This will report directly to the Prime Minister.
Alongside reforms to the siting process, a specialist taskforce will lead on making sure nuclear regulation incentivises investment, to deliver new projects more quickly and cost efficiently, while upholding high safety and security standards.
Britain is currently considered one of the world’s most expensive countries in which to build nuclear power. The taskforce will speed up the approval of new reactor designs and streamline how developers engage with regulators.
Nuclear regulation will cover both civil and defence nuclear to help unlock economic growth in the sector.
The taskforce will better align the UK with international partners so reactor designs approved abroad could be green lit more quickly, minimising expensive changes. It will also examine how to reduce duplication and simplify processes where there are multiple regulators covering overlapping issues, as well as ensuring regulatory decisions are both safe and proportionate.
The work will help the issues faced by projects such as Hinkley Point C, where three European regulators reached different assessments on the reactor design, leading to delays and increased costs.
The UK’s rigorous safety standards and record will continue to be upheld. Nuclear plants are designed with multiple layers of safety measures including making them robust enough to withstand a direct aircraft impact.
Media Enquiries
Distinctive Communications (on behalf of Nuclear Institute)
ben.lowndes@distinctivecomms.co.uk
07387 140782