nuclear-news

Nuclear: Plan to relax UK planning rules for small reactors draws mixed response

Cecilia Keating, 12 January 2024

 The government’s plan to relax planning rules in a bid to fast track
development of smaller nuclear reactors at more potential sites across the
UK has been met with a mixed reaction from the green economy this week.

While some have argued that eliminating siting restrictions for
next-generation nuclear technologies would help to fast-track the growth of
clean energy development in the UK, others have warned the measure risks
causing harm to local communities, urging the government to instead focus
on tackling barriers to lower-cost clean energy technologies.

The proposed planning rule changes were announced in the Civil Nuclear Roadmap strategy
published yesterday, as part of the government’s overarching target to
deliver 24GW of nuclear power capacity in the UK by 2050. In the Roadmap,
the government said it wanted to adopt a more “flexible approach” for
nuclear in its next national policy statement for nuclear power generation,
so as to allow small modular reactors (SMRs) to potentially be built in a
wider number of places across the UK than currently possible under existing
planning rules.

The move would mark a significant change from the previous
nuclear national policy statement, drawn up in 2011, which picked eight
specific sites where new nuclear plants could be constructed, based on a
range of criteria covering safety, security and environmental protection.

 Business Green 12th Jan 2024

https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4163321/nuclear-plan-relax-uk-planning-rules-small-reactors-draws-mixed-response

January 16, 2024 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized