- There are currently only eight designated sites for reactors
- UK government is encouraging energy investment to spur growth
The UK is set ease the rules around where nuclear power plants can be built in a bid to revitalize the struggling sector.
That will give developers more freedom over where they can build new atomic reactors, instead of being restricted to government-designated sites, according to people familiar with the matter. Currently, only eight sites in the UK, including Hinkley Point and Sizewell, are designated for the development of nuclear power stations.
The UK is due to announce the shift on Thursday, as the Labour government tries to encourage energy investment as part of its drive to spur economic growth. The move was reported earlier by The Times.
The UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero declined to comment.
While nuclear capacity may not expand by 2030 — the government’s deadline for reaching a clean power system — it will be an important part of reaching net zero carbon emissions in the UK by 2050. Power from nuclear reactors can provide a backup when wind and solar output dwindles.
The consultation for the new nuclear policy, known as EN7, was launched under the previous Conservative government. At the time, there was an ambition to build up to 24 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2050, a quadrupling of current levels.
The UK is also working on small modular reactors, which could be helped by this announcement. The government announced last year a plan to use these to power new AI growth zones.
Last year, extensions to the life of many of the country’s nuclear reactors were announced.
Source: Bloomberg
