POWER BRITAIN WITH FIRM, CLEAN ENERGY
A renaissance of British nuclear power would mean:​
FIRM, LOW-CARBON ENERGY
WELL-PAID, MULTIGENERATIONAL EMPLOYMENT
AN INCREASE IN OUR ENERGY SECURITY AND DIVERSITY AS NORTH SEA OIL AND GAS DECLINE
Yet, because it won’t be delivered in time to reach Ed Miliband’s arbitrary 2030 clean power target, it’s being sidelined.
By focusing on achieving a clean power system by 2030, Labour is deprioritising nuclear, a crucial technology for meeting our long-term climate and energy security goals.
Historically we have relied on North Sea oil and gas to meet our demand and provide energy security, but with the basin in long-term decline, we must now scale up alternative homegrown energy sources, including nuclear.
Nuclear power can help secure our energy supply, reduce our emissions, and power our economy. It should be a core part of Britain’s low-carbon energy future.
Despite once delivering nearly 27% of Britain’s electricity, nuclear now supplies a measly 13%. Nuclear plants commissioned now will not be ready by 2030. As our older power stations retire, we must ensure more nuclear power is built.
The world is waking up to the benefits of nuclear. From the USA to South Korea, nuclear is powering AI, industry, and electric cars. Britain must not be left behind. Let’s build British nuclear for the betterment of our climate, our economy, and our future.
WHAT DOES “BUILD BRITISH NUCLEAR” MEAN?
Build a fleet of small modular reactors across the UK
The SMR competition has taken far too long - former Chancellor George Osborne first committed to an SMR competition in 2015. Two winners need to be announced so that we can roll out a fleet of these reactors across the UK, including in Scotland and Wales.
Commit to building Sizewell C
We need new large-scale nuclear reactors, but attempts to get on with the job have been stymied by government delay and indecision. We need to get on with building and that starts with Sizewell C.
Fast-track reactor designs from trusted nuclear-powered nations
When it comes to designing new nuclear reactors, we do not need to reinvent the wheel. To save time and money, the UK should use the designs already approved by trusted global nuclear regulators, like France and South Korea.
Streamline approvals for all modern nuclear reactor designs
The benefits of safe new nuclear power in the UK will always outweigh the risks. But our current system demands developers prove this for every single project. Granting regulatory justification for all modern nuclear reactor designs would mean that the benefits of nuclear are already factored into our regulatory system.
Say no to more fish discos
We are adding costs to building large and environmentally-beneficial infrastructure because of the inefficient implementation of the EU-derived Habitats Regulations. We need to reform them. We need a UK-specific system that can greenlight infrastructure projects AND restore nature to our green and pleasant land.
IT'S TIME TO BUILD BRITISH NUCLEAR,
TO SECURE OUR ENERGY SUPPLY, REDUCE OUR EMISSIONS, AND POWER OUR COUNTRY.
WHY NUCLEAR?
Clean, consistent, and compact
Nuclear can generate zero-emission electricity around the clock, complementing intermittent renewable capacity. Nuclear delivers firm, predictable electricity with one of the smallest land footprints of any power source: just 0.3m² per MWh.
Safe and secure
British nuclear power is among the safest in the world. Regulated by the independent Office for Nuclear Regulation, our plants operate with strict safety protocols and world-class oversight. Even accounting for historic disasters, nuclear remains one of the safest energy sources globally.
Diversification of our energy supply
We shouldn’t put all our eggs in one basket when it comes to our energy supply. Overreliance on one technology to meet our demand leaves us vulnerable to the weaponisation of that source, as was seen with the gas supply since Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, and creates supply chain dependencies. It also deprives the power system of vital resilience.
Job creation and regional growth
The nuclear sector supports 60,000 high-skilled jobs across the UK, including in some of the most economically deprived areas. A national drive for new nuclear will support regional regeneration, safeguard the nuclear supply chain across the UK, and build long-term career pathways for young people.
Public support
The British public supports new nuclear. Nearly half of the public support nuclear energy, rising to 55% amongst 2024 Conservative voters. They support it because it's reliable, tackles climate change, and increases national energy independence.
NUCLEAR WITH RENEWABLES,
NOT NUCLEAR OR RENEWABLES
As a fact of geology, oil and gas in the North Sea are in terminal decline. We need to shore up our energy supply so as not to become reliant on hostile states. At the same time, National Grid is predicting electricity demand will have increased by 50% by 2035 and doubled by 2050.
Over the coming two decades, the UK will need to commission and build a lot of new power to keep the lights on and enable more people to switch to electric cars and heating. We need all cost-effective clean power technologies to play a role. That means both nuclear and renewables, as well as more flexible technologies like gas, long and short duration energy storage, and demand response, which can help match supply and demand.
Nuclear with renewables together can bring down wholesale electricity prices. Due to marginal pricing, wholesale electricity costs are determined by the most expensive energy source required to meet demand. In 2021, that was gas 97% of the time. This dependence on gas leaves us vulnerable to global price spikes, as we’ve seen in recent years.
In comparison, gas only set electricity prices 7% of the time in France in 2021, largely because nuclear power consistently met most of their energy demand. Rather than staying exposed to volatile gas markets, building more nuclear power could shield us from future price spikes, alongside renewables and energy storage.