UK nuclear sector calls for quick decision on new power stations

The Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) report  Forty by ’50: A Nuclear Roadmap claims that  an ambitious programme of nuclear new build - based on existing and new technologies - could provide up to 40 per cent of clean power by 2050, whilst creating 300,000 jobs and generating £33bn of added annual economic value.

Nuclear currently contributes 40 per cent of the UK's clean electricity, but demand is expected to quadruple from the replacement of fossil fuels and a boom in the electric vehicles and heating sectors.

“Net Zero needs nuclear, and the sector is developing fast,” said NIA chief executive Tom Greatrex.  “The next large-scale projects are now deliverable much more cheaply by building on repeat and tried and tested designs, capturing learnings from our new build programme, and making important changes to the way projects are financed.”

Greatrex added that giving the green light to new projects already in the pipeline would trigger a ramp-up in investment and job creation in parts of the UK facing the biggest economic challenges and clear the way for long term decarbonisation through the hydrogen economy, helping establish the UK nuclear sector as global leader in the field. “If we do nothing, we are effectively sitting on a winning hand for a greener future,” he said.