This Commons Library briefing paper summarises current progress
on nuclear power, including conventional reactors, advanced
designs, waste disposal, and nuclear research.
This paper summarises current progress on nuclear power,
including conventional reactors, advanced designs, waste
disposal and nuclear research. This paper does not seek to
provide a detailed analysis of the possible merits and
limitations of nuclear as a power source. It also does not
discuss other uses of nuclear materials such as nuclear weapons
or medical uses of radioisotopes.
Nuclear power plants in the UK
The UK has 15 existing reactors, generating about a fifth its
electricity, and 13 others are at various stages of the
construction or planning process.
In September 2016, the May Government gave the final go-ahead
to Hinkley Point C, the first nuclear power station for a
generation. In June 2018, the May Government also announced
potential direct funding for new nuclear power plants, and,
separately, a Nuclear Sector Deal as part of the Government’s
Industrial Strategy, with £200 million for supporting the
industry.
However in November 2018, the collapse of private sector
support for a new plant at Moorside, and in January 2019 the
suspension of the Hitachi project at Wylfa, cast doubt on the
future of nuclear plants in the UK. To address this, the
Government has consulted on a new model for funding nuclear
reactors, known as a Regulated Asset Base model.
Research and development
Successive Governments have been supportive of nuclear power,
including funding for research and innovation into nuclear
technologies. The Cameron Government announced initiatives and
funding for advanced reactors, including £250 million for
development. The May Government announced support for nuclear
power in the Industrial Strategy as well as specific funding in
areas such as small modular reactors. The Johnson Government
has also announced support for nuclear fusion.[1]
Waste management
Nuclear waste comprises many different products and can be
split into categories from low to high level waste. The UK’s
policy for long-term high-level waste disposal is a deep
geological disposal (GDF) facility. Despite a 2008 siting
process for a facility ending in 2013 with no community willing
to host the facility, successive Governments have remained
committed to a GDF and the May Government published a new
National Policy Statement on disposal. Until a suitable site is
identified and the facility constructed, waste will continue to
be stored at existing sites such as Sellafield.
[1]
Put simply, fusion is a reaction where atomic nuclei are fused,
rather than split as in fission. This type of reaction remains
in research development rather than being commercially deployed
as fission is.
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