Lesson 1 1.6 Nuclear Energy in the UK

Syllabus Coverage: NFC1.1, NFC1.2

Key Points

  • The UK government supports new nuclear build, financed and built by the private sector.
  • Hinkley Point C (two EPR reactors, ~3.2 GWe total) is under construction in Somerset.
  • The Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process allows reactor designs to be assessed before site-specific licensing.
  • The Planning Act 2008 streamlined the planning process for major infrastructure including nuclear.
  • Recent developments include the establishment of Great British Nuclear and the SMR competition.