The outlined roadmap aims to increase the UK's nuclear generation by up to four times to 24 gigawatts by 2050, providing a quarter of the UK's electricity needs. As part of the initiative, the possibility of building a new nuclear power facility of the same size as the UK's under-construction Sizewell C and Hinkley Point C gigawatt-scale power stations, both of which are capable of meeting the needs of 6 million homes, will be explored.
"The government today outlines plans for the biggest expansion of nuclear power for 70 years to reduce electricity bills, support thousands of jobs and improve UK energy security – including exploring building a major new power station and investing in advanced nuclear fuel production," the government said in a statement.
The government also plans to invest up to 300 million pounds ($382 million) in the production of the fuel for HALEU high-tech nuclear reactors, which to date are commercially manufactured only in Russia. Another 10 million pounds will be allocated to "develop the skills and sites needed to produce other advanced nuclear fuels in the UK." Meanwhile, in the long term, the government intends to secure investment decisions of three to seven gigawatts in new nuclear projects every five years from 2030 to 2044, according to the statement.
According to the Nuclear Skills Strategy Group's analysis, to increase the national energy capacity to 24 gigawatts, the UK's relevant workforce will need to double over the next 20 years, creating 80,000 new jobs, the government said.
In recent decades, the UK nuclear industry has been in decline. However, in 2016, the construction of the new Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant was confirmed, for the first time in 20 years. In April 2022, in the midst of the energy crisis, UK authorities announced plans to build seven nuclear power plants by 2050 as part of efforts to develop domestic sources of electricity. In November 2022, the UK government confirmed it would allocate 700 million pounds to build the Sizewell C nuclear power plant.