A new report from the Nuclear Taskforce states that a radical, “once-in-a-generation” reform is needed to unlock nuclear projects’ potential
In its first-ever report, the Nuclear Taskforce is calling for a ‘radical reset’ in nuclear construction to tackle costly and complex regulatory barriers that are holding back British projects from proceeding. Safety standards must be maintained while projects must be completed more quickly and at a lower cost.
The current system is not fit for purpose
The Nuclear Taskforce was originally announced in February as part of a series of reforms to boost nuclear construction.
In the new report, the Taskforce found that the system for delivering nuclear projects is “unnecessarily slow, inefficient and costly.”
As such, early proposals for reform include streamlining regulatory processes to improve consistency and reduce complexity, developing a less risk-averse culture that relies on proportionate safety measures instead of bureaucracy, and an updated planning framework to support new technologies such as Small Modular Reactors.
Nuclear Taskforce lead John Fingleton said: “Nuclear energy is safe and reliable and can contribute to net zero goals. It is also vital to the UK’s strategic deterrent.
“However, over recent decades, nuclear regulation has become more complex and costly without always delivering commensurate safety and environmental benefits.
“Our interim report identifies our main concerns with the current system which we think is not fit for purpose.
“With a view to recommending a once-in-a-generation reset, we now invite views from interested parties on what solutions will better enable the UK to achieve the huge benefits nuclear power offers.”
The full interim report can be found here.
The final report will come in Autumn
The final report and recommendations will be published in the autumn.
The report will focus on:
- Tackling a culture of risk aversion and reluctance to challenge and debate, impacting costs and time, to ensure that risk management is proportionate
- Addressing complex and inconsistent regulations, with processes often duplicated across multiple overlapping regulators
- An outdated planning framework that doesn’t support innovative technologies such as small and advanced modular reactors
- Maintaining a range and depth of expertise across the workforce
- The potential for greater standardisation across international regulators, which could cut down complexity, costs, and delays when seeking approvals
- Improving the regulatory understanding of the cost of project delays to ensure safety measures are proportionate
At the time of the announcement, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “This country hasn’t built a nuclear power station in decades. We’ve been let down, and left behind. Our energy security has been hostage to Putin for too long, with British prices skyrocketing at his whims.
“I’m putting an end to it – changing the rules to back the builders of this nation, and saying no to the blockers who have strangled our chances of cheaper energy, growth and jobs for far too long. My government was elected to deliver change. I’ll take the radical decisions needed to wrestle Britain from its status quo slumber, to turbocharge our plan for change.”
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