The government has been told it must “fix” its international nuclear strategy in the face of strong exports of nuclear fuel and technology from Russia and China, by a former defence secretary.
Former Conservative secretary of state for defence, now backbench member of parliament (MP) Gavin Williamson made the comments following a response from the government to a parliamentary written question he tabled.
Williamson asked what recent assessment the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) had made of “the potential impact of the increasing role of (a) Russia and (b) China in global nuclear energy exports for the UK’s geopolitical interests” and whether there are plans to bring forward a strategy to counter their influence in this area.
FCDO minister of state Stephen Doughty responded, saying: “All investment involving critical infrastructure is subject to thorough scrutiny and needs to satisfy our robust legal, regulatory and national security requirements.”
UK investment in nuclear-related critical national infrastructure (CNI) includes the cash spent by nuclear power station owners on uranium fuel, which is supplied exclusively by a private company called Urenco.
Urenco is owned in thirds by the UK Government, the Dutch Government and the last third by two German utility companies.
Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute scientist Sa’d Shannak previously told NCE that Urenco “could phase out” Russian uranium but “it would depend on contractual commitments and supply logistics”.
In his response to Williamson, Doughty added: “The UK takes its national security extremely seriously. The powers we have through the National Security and Investment Act further enhance our ability to intervene if required.”
“The UK, as a member of nuclear fuels alliance Sapporo 5, is resolved to realise a nuclear fuel supply free from Russian influence and potential political leverage by other countries and to expand our existing fuel cycle capabilities further to ensure a resilient fuel supply chain of benefit to our international allies.”
The Sapporo 5 refers to the five countries which met in Sapporo in Japan at the 2023 G7 Summit. The countries are Canada, France, Japan, the UK and the US.
The Sapporo 5 created the Sapporo Agreement, which is “the basis for pushing Putin out of the nuclear fuel market entirely, and doing so as quickly as possible, to cut off another means for him to fund his barbaric attack on Ukraine and fundamentally leave Russia out in the cold”, according to an April 2023 statement from the UK Government.
Doughty continued: “We continue to invest in domestic fuel cycle capabilities such as our £300M investment in high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU).
“We are committed to working with our international partners to reduce global dependence on Russian nuclear fuel, as outlined in the Sapporo Agreement (April 2023).”
Reflecting on the government’s response, Williamson told NCE: “I welcome the Government’s commitment to realising a nuclear fuel supply free from Russian influence.
“However, Russia’s grip on the global nuclear industry extends far beyond fuel: for example, the state-owned Rosatom oversees 45% of nuclear reactors currently under construction.
“It is clear that the government must fix our nuclear strategy and be more ambitious in countering the dominance of autocratic regimes within the global nuclear marketplace.”
Industry says UK domestic nuclear capability ‘vital’
Nuclear Industry Association CEO Tom Greatrex said: “Investment in UK nuclear, especially in our fuel cycle capabilities, will enable the UK to fuel reactors at home and around the world, building on our existing capabilities to strengthen energy security for our allies while reducing their reliance on Russia.
“Countries are looking to us as global nuclear leaders so it’s vital we get on with strengthening our nuclear capability by getting Sizewell C to a final investment decision and delivering a fleet of SMRs.”
Source: New Civil Engineering
