Atomic Smitten: New nuclear gears up for net zero challenge

Against a backdrop of the ongoing energy crisis, many feel that the case for nuclear in the UK is strong. While historically dividing opinion, nuclear power is widely hailed as a vital piece of the net zero puzzle.

Published in April, the UK government’s Energy Security Strategy highlighted its plans to meet the energy security challenge. The focus on nuclear was emphasised with the ambition of 24GW by 2050 representing what would be a quarter of the UK’s projected electricity demand.

Most stations within our current fleet, which comprises 14 Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors (AGRs) and one Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) operated by EDF, are approaching the end of generating life with several already having ceased generation and entered defuelling phase.

With this in mind, new nuclear will be essential to hit net zero targets. Whilst build projects have been notoriously expensive and lengthy processes, new designs are looking to target some of these issues. Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), for example, could provide a cheaper and easier-to-deploy alternative to traditional large plant designs.