3
Publish detailed nuclear project pipeline to enable timely investments in new generation capacity
Conclusion
Gigawatt-scale nuclear power stations use a known and well understood technology that can deliver dependable low carbon baseload electricity to the grid. Nuclear power is therefore an important option and could be used to produce a domestic supply of baseload power to the UK as part of the low carbon energy mix required to achieve the Government’s goals of increasing energy security and achieving net zero by 2050. However, the question of energy security must engage with the questions of sourcing of fuel and the risks of having a concentration of generating capacity in very large plants, which could be susceptible to outages as a result of technical problems or as a target for malign actors. The Government’s aim to bring up to 24 gigawatts of nuclear-powered electricity to the grid by 2050 is commensurate with its net zero ambitions but currently lacks a comprehensive plan to achieve it. We welcome the Government’s intention of “building a project pipeline” of nuclear projects but agree with industry that the details of this pipeline must be published by Government, if investments in new nuclear are to proceed in time.
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Government Response
A response document is linked to this report, dated 25 October 2023. Response attribution to this conclusion has not been verified. Read the response document.
Source
Inquiry
Delivering nuclear power
Report
Eighth Report - Delivering nuclear power
31 Jul 2023
HC 626
Addressee Bodies
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Timeline
Recommendation age
3.1 yrs
Report published
31 Jul 2023