Overhaul of Nuclear System to Speed Up Building and Cut Costs

Plan to overhaul nuclear system will speed up building, strengthen national and energy security, and cut costs.

• Government overhauls nuclear planning and regulation to deliver golden age of nuclear and boost UK energy sovereignty.

• Streamlining regulation to simplify the building of new nuclear projects whilst ensuring better environmental outcomes.

• Drive for clean power essential to get the UK off dependence on volatile fossil fuel markets and onto clean homegrown power controlled in Britain.

Nuclear projects will be built faster and cheaper, boosting national and energy security and protecting households from volatile global fossil fuel markets as part of a long-overdue overhaul of nuclear regulation.

The current conflict in the Middle East is yet another reminder that the only route to energy security and sovereignty for the UK is to end dependence on fossil fuel markets and accelerate the transition to clean homegrown power, including turbocharging the drive for new renewables and nuclear.

The government is today outlining its comprehensive plans to speed up nuclear delivery after the independent Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce led by John Fingleton found an “overly complex” and “bureaucratic” system that favoured process over safe outcomes has held back the industry. The government is delivering reforms in a way that produces a win-win for building critical infrastructure while protecting nature and the environment.

The government is implementing the review’s recommendations, with all reforms expected to be completed by the end of 2027. These reforms could help speed up other types of infrastructure, such as looking at whether reforms to judicial reviews could apply to other major planning regimes.

The core of the plan is a move towards smarter regulation: proportionate, focused on real risk, rooted in evidence, and designed to effectively protect nature and biodiversity. This plan will support safe, cost effective, and rapid delivery across the entire civil and defence nuclear enterprise. The plan is expected to reduce the cost and timeframe of delivering new civil and defence nuclear projects, without compromising safety and environmental protections.

As part of its clean energy superpower mission and Industrial Strategy, the government is delivering a golden age of nuclear - greenlighting Sizewell C on the Suffolk coast which will support 17,000 jobs nationwide at peak construction, progressing Hinkley Point C in Somerset, backing the UK’s first small modular reactors at Wylfa in North Wales, and paving the way for further projects across the country with international partners.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

"I am grateful to John Fingleton for his landmark review, and the government is today publishing our implementation plan to deliver his reforms.

"As the current Middle East conflict shows, we need to go further and faster to build the clean energy we need to get off volatile fossil fuel markets and deliver energy security for our country.

"A crucial part of this is ensuring that we speed up the building of infrastructure in a way that reduces costs as well as delivering better outcomes for nature."

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said:

"To build national resilience, drive energy security and deliver economic growth, we need nuclear. That’s why we’re overhauling the system, getting rid of duplicative or overly complex guidance, rules and regulations that have been holding back our nuclear ambitions.

"In a new era of global uncertainty, this government’s economic plan is the right one. Through stability, investment, and reform we are building a stronger and more secure economy."

Defence Secretary John Healey said:

"In this new era for defence, our nuclear weapons deter the most extreme threats to national security, sending the ultimate warning to anyone who seeks to do us harm. I am proud of all those working in our nuclear sector who play such a vital part in keeping Britain secure, and proud of this government’s increased investment into defence nuclear.

"Our triple lock shows that our commitment to operate, sustain, and renew our nuclear deterrent is total and these reforms will enable us to accelerate our work, supporting tens of thousands of skilled jobs and driving growth in every corner of the nation.

"Our deterrent is deployed every minute of every day to protect our nation, our allies and way of life. It is a truly national endeavour that has existed for over 60 years – the bedrock of our nation’s defence and the cornerstone of our commitment to NATO and global security."

To further unlock innovation in Britain’s nuclear industry, over 500 doctoral students will be trained at universities across the country over 4 annual intakes, quadrupling today’s intake of nuclear PhDs.

Government is backing 7 research programmes with £65.6 million new funding, delivered by UK Research and Innovation, from University of Bangor in North Wales to the University of Glasgow in Scotland to Imperial College London, investing in the next generation of scientists and engineers to support the clean energy mission and the nuclear deterrent.

The funding, which will be matched by industry partners, will support cutting-edge research such as advanced nuclear reactor components, nuclear waste disposal, innovative nuclear fuels and materials, and research of critical importance to national security and keeping the UK safe.

Meanwhile the Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE) – the partnership of organisations that operate, renew, and maintain the UK’s nuclear deterrent – is projected to support 65,000 highly skilled, well-paid jobs by 2030, and depends on precisely the kind of sovereign technical talent this funding will develop.

The government is also constructing 4 new Dreadnought-class submarines that will deliver the next generation of the UK’s independent nuclear deterrent, the replacement of the nuclear warhead, and major upgrades and investments across defence nuclear industrial sites and naval bases.

Read the full press release below.