The government is being put under increasing pressure to find new sites for nuclear power stations and help quicken the approval of reactors after a new report has called for an end to delays in decisions. The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) report, Nuclear Power: A Future Pathway for the UK, follows government announcements last week on its support for the next generation of nuclear technologies. It believes an independent review of the Generic Design Assessment process is needed, which is a necessary step for the approval of any reactor in the UK. The report states how the review should ensure that costs are not unnecessarily added and to enable the faster approval of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).Other critical points of the report include a need for experienced workers from oversees to enter the UK to address the shortage of nuclear construction skills and running a new Strategic Siting Assessment to identify further nuclear sites beyond Hinkley Point C’s potential completion in 2025, including locations for SMRs. The Nuclear Pathway set out in IMechE’s report is said to be achieved by a commitment to replacing old nuclear with new nuclear by 2030, and having a fleet of affordable SMRs by 2040.
Ace 13th Dec 2017 read more »
Professional Engineering 13th Dec 2017 read more »
Gareth Redmond-King, head of Energy and Climate at WWF commented on the announcement by the UK Government of £56 million of funding for new advanced and small modular reactors – “mini nuclear power stations” “At a time when the cost of large-scale nuclear is increasing, and the cost of renewables is plummeting, it is bewildering that the UK Government should be committing yet more money to new nuclear – only a matter of weeks after a freeze on renewables funding was announced. “Small-scale nuclear is untried, untested technology which will deliver nothing for over two decades. Meanwhile, the next wave of offshore wind – not to mention onshore wind and solar – could deliver when we actually need them, during the 2020s.”
WWF 7th Dec 2017 read more »
