UK nuclear safety rules to be relaxed to speed up new power plants
In an effort to speed up the development of Sizewell C and a new generation of small modular reactors (SMR) ministers will pledge to take on the 'needless bureaucracy' that can add billions of pounds to the costs.
A taskforce appointed by Sir Keir Starmer found that regulation in the nuclear sector had become unnecessarily 'complex and inconsistent' and 'lacked proportionality'.
It said a 'culture of risk aversion' was inflating the costs and timescales of new clean power projects as well as increasing the cost of replacing the UK's nuclear deterrent.
The report, first reported by The Times, called for 'more fundamental and meaningful changes' to environmental protections than ministers have so far been willing to countenance.
It said fast-track planning processes should be introduced for a new generation of SMRs built to standard designs and that a ban on nuclear reactors in 'semi-urban' areas must be rethought.
The government's change of approach comes amid growing concerns from industry that regulators are taking an overly cautious approach to the risks posed by nuclear power stations.
In one case, developers of a planned nuclear power station in Wales were told they would have to install filters to reduce radioactive discharges equivalent to one fiftieth of the dose from a dental x-ray.
Under current rules reactors must be designed so that, even in the event of a meltdown, the radiation released would be no greater than natural background levels found in Cornwall. This is an event with a likelihood of occurring once in a million years.
In June the government announced that Rolls-Royce had been selected as the preferred bidder to build the country's first SMRs with £2.5 billion of government support.
The decision came a decade after George Osborne, then chancellor, championed the technology and pledged government support to get it off the ground. Ministers have so far commissioned just three reactors, none expected before 2035.
The Czech Republic chose Rolls-Royce to supply six SMRs within a year, with plans for up to six units from the mid-2030s.
The taskforce is due to propose a number of specific recommendations to ministers in the autumn and government sources said the intention was to implement them rapidly.
Miatta Fahnbulleh, the minister for energy consumers, said it was time for a 'new approach' to nuclear regulation.
'For too long, big British infrastructure projects have been held back by needless bureaucracy,' she said.
'It's time for a new approach to getting nuclear projects off the ground more quickly, and at a lower cost. We look forward to working with the expert taskforce to modernise outdated regulations so we can unlock growth, jobs and energy security for the British people.'
• Hinkley Point C's soaring costs blamed on red tape
Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said: 'If the UK is serious about energy security and creating good jobs, we need a regulatory framework that is more proportionate and built for delivery — one that upholds safety and public trust while giving investors the confidence to move at pace.
'Smarter regulation will mean projects are approved faster, built more efficiently, and delivered at lower cost to consumers. The nuclear industry stands ready to work with government and regulators to make that happen.'
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