Select Committee urges clarity from government on SMRs

In a letter to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero from the EAC’s chair, several concerns were raised around current SMR policy. It was noted that a final investment decision on the first SMR is not expected until 2029, with first generation capacity unlikely before 2035 – the date the UK has set for decarbonisation of its electricity grid.

The EAC also pointed to the government’s recently published Civil Nuclear Roadmap, which outlined a pathway to 24GW of nuclear energy by 2050. However, the Roadmap also included a scenario whereby nuclear capacity in 2050 is as low as 12GW. Large-scale nuclear projects, including Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C, will likely account for the majority of that 12GW, leaving the SMR sector on an unsure footing over its future.

“As a result of the UK’s push towards nuclear SMR technology, the UK has the opportunity to be a genuine world leader in the manufacture of SMR nuclear capability with great export potential,” said Environmental Audit Committee chair, Philip Dunne MP.