The UK must slash red tape to reclaim its place as a global nuclear leader, energy bosses said, 70 years after the world’s first commercial plant was opened in Cumbria.
Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the Calder Hall power station on October 17 1956, firing the starting gun on the age of nuclear energy.
Dubbed “the father of the nuclear industry”, Calder Hall, in Sellafield, occupied land the size of Buckingham Palace and its grounds and operated for 47 years, twice its planned design life.
Delegates from 48 countries were on hand to see the opening.
But in recent years, the UK’s nuclear ambitions have stalled.
In the 1990s, nuclear was generating 25 per cent of the UK’s electricity.
But this had fallen to 12.3 per cent last year after a number of stations were retired without being replaced.
The last new plant built in Britain was Sizewell B on the Suffolk Coast, which was completed in 1995.
Experts have since complained that overregulation and disproportionate risk management are holding the sector back.
The recent Nuclear Regulatory Review has called for a “radical reset” of regulation, including streamlined planning approvals and a more proportionate approach to safety and environmental risks.
The Government has accepted all of its recommendations, “in principle”.
Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said the reforms were crucial for the future of Britain’s nuclear fleet.
Mr Greatrex said: “Britain showed the world what nuclear power could achieve. For seventy years, nuclear has served as the backbone of the UK’s electricity mix. Our fleet has also provided tens of thousands of high-paid, high-skilled jobs and contributed well over £100 billion to the UK economy.
“With the UK Government backing Advanced Nuclear Technologies and Small Modular Reactors, the UK has a significant opportunity to reclaim its position as a global nuclear leader.
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“This ambition can only be achieved by the UK Government fully implementing the Nuclear Regulatory Review, allowing us to update outdated regulations to cut costs and delivery timelines.
“With these reforms, we can deliver the next generation of nuclear at pace, strengthen our energy security and reduce our reliance on gas. We must not look back in 70 years and regret missing this opportunity.”
Labour has promised a “golden age” of nuclear, with work well underway on Hinkley Point C in Somerset.
Construction of a second plant at Sizewell C has just begun, and investment is in place for small modular reactors – factory-made plants that can be deployed at scale.
Energy minister Michael Shanks said: “Since Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II first opened Calder Hall, nuclear power has helped keep the lights on for millions of Britons.
“70 years on, the UK is driving forward the next generation of nuclear power through sites like Sizewell C and Hinkley Point C, which will deliver clean, secure and homegrown energy while creating thousands of skilled jobs across the country.”
As the country heads toward Net Zero, the firm power nuclear offers is seen as a key part of the energy mix.
Unlike wind and solar, it is not weather-dependent, and unlike fossil fuels, it is carbon-neutral.
Over the last 70 years, nuclear power has prevented an estimated 2.4 billion tonnes of carbon emissions in the UK.
It has provided Britain with the equivalent of 11 years of uninterrupted power, according to the NIA.
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