Nuclear To Play A Significant Role In The UK Net Zero Strategy

The UK government published on 19 October 2021 its Net Zero Strategy, presenting how the country will deliver on its commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

New nuclear projects play a crucial role in this strategy, which includes an investment of 120 million GBP (more than 140 million euros) towards the development of nuclear projects through the Future Nuclear Enabling Fund.

The government said to take into account large-scale and advanced nuclear technologies, including small modular reactors (SMRs) and potentially advanced modular reactors.

About the Future Nuclear Enabling Fund, the document explains that:

funding like this could support our path to decarbonising the UK’s electricity system fifteen years earlier from 2050 to 2035.

The government also added that it will provide funding for an SMR design thanks to its GBP385 million (more than 450 million euros) Advanced Nuclear Fund and is progressing plans for an advanced modular reactor demonstrator in the early 2030s.

The Net Zero Strategy policies include also additional GW of offshore and onshore wind capacity, solar and other renewables, together with nuclear energy to support the country’s decarbonisation.

Now the Net Zero Strategy will be submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change as the UK’s second Long-Term Low Greenhouse Gas Emission Development Strategy under the Paris Agreement.

Read the UK Net Zero Strategy here.