The UK government said that the new planning reforms address the bureaucratic hurdles that have hindered nuclear development in the country for decades. Although the UK was the first to have a full-scale nuclear reactor enter operation in the West – Calder Hall at Windscale, which came online in 1956 and was decommissioned in 2003 – none have been built since Sizewell B was commissioned in 1995. According to the UK government, the industry has been ‘suffocated by regulations’. Coupled with NIMBY-ism (not in my back yard) and environmental campaign protests, this saw ‘investment collapse’, leaving only one nuclear power plant – Hinkley Point C – under construction.

The proposed rules overhaul comes ‘after recent changes to planning laws, the scrapping of the three-strike rule for judicial reviews on infrastructure projects, and application of common-sense to environmental rules’, adds the government.

Noting that the UK has been ‘lagging behind’ in nuclear development, with China currently constructing 29 reactors and the EU with 12 at planning stage, 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.’

At present, nuclear development in the UK is restricted to eight sites across England and Wales. However, the refreshed planning framework seeks to end this, streamlining the planning process to encourage investment and enable developers to identify the best sites for their projects across the country.  

Particular consideration is to be given to SMRs that can be developed in locations that are unsuitable for large power plants. The government suggests developers may wish to co-locate these facilities with energy-intensive sites such as industrial clusters or AI data centres. They will be encouraged to specify sites as soon as possible in the pre-application stage in the planning process. The government also plans to remove the expiry date on nuclear planning rules, ‘so projects don’t get timed out and industry can plan for the long term’.  

Despite the reforms, the government assures that there will continue to be robust criteria for nuclear reactor locations, with restrictions near densely-populated areas and military activity. Community engagement and high environmental standards will remain a priority.

To further support the nuclear sector, a Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce will be established, reporting directly to the Prime Minister. The taskforce will work to align the UK with international partners, allowing reactor designs approved abroad to be greenlit more quickly. It will also aim to reduce regulatory overlap and simplify processes, addressing issues that have led to delays and increased costs in projects like Hinkley Point C.

Since coming into power in July 2024, the Labour government committed further funding for Sizewell C in the Autumn Budget 2024. Great British Nuclear also continues to progress the SMR competition, with contract negotiations currently underway.

Reactions to reform plans

The announcement garnered mixed reactions from industry stakeholders. Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, welcomed the reforms, saying: ‘This is the Prime Minister’s strongest signal yet that new nuclear is critical to the growth and clean power mission. A more streamlined planning system will give certainty to investors, the supply chain and communities, and will enable us to get on with building new nuclear plants on more sites and at pace for a cleaner, more secure power system.’

Simone Rossi, CEO of EDF in the UK, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the potential for new infrastructure across England and Wales to replace ageing power stations and leverage existing skills and grid connections.  

On the other hand, environmental group Greenpeace criticised the government’s approach. Dr Doug Parr, Policy Director for Greenpeace UK, argued that the reforms are based on ‘optimistic conjecture’ rather than evidence, particularly regarding the cost, speed of delivery and safety of SMRs. He also pointed out the lack of attention to the issue of nuclear waste management and advocated for a focus on renewable energy, which he claimed is already delivering secure energy at lower costs.

In related news, the UK government has relaunched its Net Zero Council with a broader membership of government, business and civil society, in a bid to ‘help sectors accelerate to net zero and support thousands of jobs’.

Global nuclear generation is set to hit an all-time high in 2025

The UK government’s commitment to nuclear energy comes at a time when global nuclear generation is forecast to reach an all-time high in 2025, according to a recent report from the International Energy Agency (IEA). Even as a few countries phase out nuclear power or retire plants early, global generation from nuclear plants is rising, driven by factors such as Japan restarting reactor operation, completion of widespread reactor maintenance in France, and new reactors coming online in China, India, Korea and Europe. Nuclear power produces just under 10% of global generation and is the second-largest source of low-emissions electricity today after hydropower, finds the report.

Some 63 nuclear reactors are currently under construction, representing more than 70 GW of capacity, according to the IEA. Half of the projects that are under construction are in China, which is on course to overtake both the US and EU in installed nuclear power capacity by 2030.  

In addition, over the last five years, decisions have been taken to extend the operating lifetimes of over 60 reactors worldwide (including in the UK), covering almost 15% of the total nuclear fleet. Annual investment in nuclear – encompassing both new plants and lifetime extensions of existing ones – has increased by almost 50% in the three years since 2020, exceeding $60bn, says the report.

The IEA also suggests that SMRs could ‘be the catalyst for change’, boosted by government support and new business models. Demand for firm, dispatchable and clean power from the private sector is a major driver of interest in these emerging technologies. There are plans of varying maturity for up to 25 GW of SMR capacity, in large part to meet growing electricity demand for data centres, it notes. The report forecasts that under today’s policy settings, total SMR capacity could reach 40 GW by 2050, ‘but the potential is far greater’.

In a scenario in which ‘tailored policy support for nuclear and streamlined regulations for SMRs align with robust industry delivery on new projects and designs’, it projects that SMR capacity could be three times higher by mid-century, reaching 120 GW, with more than 1,000 SMRs in operation globally by then. ‘This rapid growth scenario would raise required investment in SMRs from less than $5bn today to $25bn by the end of this decade, with cumulative investment of $670bn by 2050,’ the report concludes.