“Delays and broken promises” in the collapse of the British nuclear agency

The government was urged to stop postponing the creation of a new “lead” agency for the development of next-generation nuclear reactors in the UK.

Ministers were warned that the country risked “falling asleep in the familiar pattern of delays and broken promises that have held back our nuclear ambitions in the past.”

The warning comes in a letter signed by major companies including Rolls-Royce and America’s Westinghouse Group, as well as Prospect Union, bipartisan MPs and Lords and the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.

She expresses dismay at the delays in setting up Great British Nuclear (GBN), the body tasked with overseeing the development of next-generation nuclear energy resources.

This was to be the cornerstone of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plans to produce enough energy for the country and reduce dependence on imports.

Last year, Mr. Johnson said it would be launched to oversee construction of up to 24 gigawatts of new capacity by 2050. Our electricity consumed in Britain comes from nuclear power,” he said at the time.

However, a dispute between the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy delayed the move.

The letter warns that progress in GBN has “stalled”. It says: “We have no time to waste. By the end of the decade, all but one of the existing nuclear reactors in the UK will have been decommissioned and these facilities will need to be replaced.”

He warns that the delay could mean private sector funds and know-how could be lost to competitors. It also states that “the global race to invest in next-generation nuclear technology is accelerating, fueled by the US Inflation Reduction Act.”

The letter said Skidmore’s latest report on the UK’s road to achieving its zero climate change commitments calls for “solid, long-term strategies” and added: “We urge the Prime Minister to embark on a fully funded major UK nuclear program.” priority”.

The GBN Strategy and Operations Report, prepared by nuclear industry expert Simon Bowen, has been under ministerial review for several months.

He asked for it to be published to help industry prepare for the demands it would face in funding and training skilled workers, but was told that was not possible.

Long delays in the nuclear program will mean the “ambitious” 2050 target will not be met, experts warn.

The government is already struggling to replace its current nuclear power generation capacity before it can expand it. Last year, five nuclear power plants produced more than 15 per cent of Britain’s electricity. All but one will be decommissioned by 2028.

French energy company EDF, which operates Sizewell B, has discussed plans with the UK’s nuclear regulator to extend the life of the UK’s existing reactors, but has yet to make a formal proposal to the Nuclear Regulatory Authority.

Energy Secretary Graham Stewart told MPs last week that he hoped the GBN strategy would be “published early this year” but declined to elaborate.