Very ambitious’: regulator’s view of 2027 Bridgend nuke power plant plan

25th November 2024, https://www.nuclearpolicy.info/news/very-ambitious-regulators-view-of-2027-bridgend-nuke-power-plant-plan/

Despite the hype from American developer Last Energy, this was the verdict of the Office for Nuclear Regulation in response to a question posed by the NFLA Secretary about the company’s plan to have a micro nuclear reactor plant licenced and operational at Bridgend by 2027.

Last Energy remains optimistic, boastful even, that it will be able to secure permission to install four of its 20-megawatt pressurised water micro modular reactors on the 14-acre site of the former Llynfi power station site within three years.

But there are still many hoops through which for the company must jump; historically, nuclear power projects have been delivered significantly behind schedule.

The Nuclear Installations Act 1965 places the primary responsibility for the safety of a nuclear installation on the licensee. The Office for Nuclear Regulations ‘regulates the design, construction and operation of any nuclear installation in Great Britain for which a nuclear site licence is required’ under the act.

To obtain a Site Licence, Last Energy must demonstrate ownership or secure tenure of the site, the safety of their design, their plans to safely, securely and efficiently manage operations throughout the whole lifecycle of the plant from inception to post-closure, and their organisational capacity to so. This includes having detailed plans in place for the management and disposal of radioactive waste and around emergency planning[i].

A Site Licence comes with 36 Standard Conditions, covering design, construction, operation and decommissioning, against which Last Energy will continue to be monitored by the nuclear regulator.[ii]

In its guidance handbook, ‘Licensing Nuclear Installations’, under Section 83, the ONR has identified that ‘it might take several years from site licence application to the completion of our assessment. This is subject to adequate and timely submissions from the applicant and the level of maturity of implementation of the applicant’s arrangements’.[iii]

Last Energy will also need to secure an operating permit from National Resources Wales, working with the Environment Agency, and planning approval from the Welsh Government with sign off from a Minister.

As well as the regulatory challenges, Last Energy also faces some practical ones.

Michael Jenner, Chief Executive of Last Energy UK, is reported recently to have said in an interview with New Civil Engineer[iv] that the PWR-20 reactor comprises around forty modules that are manufactured off-site, trucked to the site, and assembled within twenty-four months. But to the best of the NFLA’s knowledge the company has yet to build an operating prototype and there is no manufacturing facility in place to fabricate the parts, even in the USA. We have written to Last Energy to provide them with an opportunity to correct us.

In a welcome development, Last Energy has affirmed its commitment to consult with local communities, and has announced the first two public consultation events to run as follows:

A drop-in public engagement on Wednesday 27th November 2024 from 9.30am until 5pm at the Bettws Life Centre, Bettws Road, Bettws, Bridgend CF32 8TB
A project presentation followed by questions and answers on Thursday 12th December 2024 from 7pm to 9pm at the main lecture theatre at the Steam Academy, Bridgend College, Pencoed Campus, Bridgend CF35 5LG

This is a project that the Welsh NFLAs will continue to want to watch.

Ends:// For more information, please contact NFLA Secretary Richard Outram by email to richard.outram@manchester.gov.uk

[i] https://www.onr.org.uk/media/30nh5c0f/licensing-nuclear-installations.pdf

[ii] https://www.onr.org.uk/media/gixbe2br/licence-condition-handbook.pdf

[iii] https://www.onr.org.uk/media/30nh5c0f/licensing-nuclear-installations.pdf

[iv] https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/interview-micro-reactor-developer-optimistic-about-connecting-south-wales-project-by-2027-08-11-2024/