The UK’s current nuclear regulation system is “not fit for purpose” as projects are being held back by “costly and complex” regulation barriers.
That’s according to the government’s independent taskforce, which is calling for a “radical reset” to speed up vital nuclear power projects and encourage more companies to build in Britain.
The taskforce – which was announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer in February and led by John Fingleton, former CEO of the Office of Fair Trading – found an “unnecessarily slow, inefficient and costly” system is hampering the delivery of nuclear energy infrastructure.
It suggests a “radical, once-in-a-generation reform” could transform nuclear delivery in several critical areas while maintaining the highest safety standards.
They include overly complex and inconsistent regulatory processes, risk-averse cultures that prioritise bureaucracy over proportionate safety measures and outdated planning frameworks that fail to support new technologies like small modular reactors (SMRs).
The government will now nwork with the taskforce to develop a new strategic direction for nuclear operators to prioritise “quick, effective and safe delivery” of nuclear projects.
Once SMRs and Sizewell C come online in the 2030s, combined with Hinkley Point C, they will deliver more new nuclear to the grid than over the previous half century combined.
Mr 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 government is inviting views and comments on the interim report until 8th September 2025.
UK nuclear regulation ‘not fit for purpose’, finds government review appeared first on Energy Live News.