United Kingdom: The UK government has released plans that it says could result in the “biggest expansion of nuclear power for 70 years” in the nation.
The United Kingdom’s current goal of producing up to 24GW of nuclear power by 2050 is outlined in the recently released Civil Nuclear Roadmap.
If accomplished, this would supply 25 percent of the electricity needed in the UK and be four times the current capacity. But some people are skeptical of today’s plans because earlier nuclear plants have been beset by delays and skyrocketing costs.
These groups contend that a large portion of the funds would be better used to lower demand or purchase more affordable, renewable energy.
UK Prime Minister, Mr. Rishi Sunak, described nuclear power as the “perfect antidote to the energy challenges facing Britain” when he announced the plans today.
“It will ensure our future energy security and create the jobs and skills we need to level up the country and grow our economy,” he said, adding that nuclear power is “green.”
According to the roadmap, without nuclear power, there “is no credible pathway to net zero.” Nuclear power produces extremely low-carbon electricity.
As the UK electrifies transportation, industry, and residential heating, its share of generation is currently declining while the demand for electricity rises.
The roadmap also outlines the government’s goal of securing 3–7 gigawatt-worth of investment decisions on new nuclear projects every five years between 2030 and 2044.
Nuclear power currently provides around 15 percent of the UK’s electricity but many of the country’s aging reactors are due to be decommissioned over the next decade.
The goal of the government’s Civil Nuclear Roadmap is to increase the UK’s energy independence by looking into potential locations for additional nuclear power plants with the same size and scope as the $38 billion facilities being built at Sizewell, Suffolk, and Hinkley Point, Somerset.
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