Government urged to commit to nuclear strategy

Following the announcement of the Great British Energy Bill, the global consulting, construction engineering and operating firm Egis has called on the UK government to commit to a long-term nuclear energy strategy which ensures planning and delivery within efficient timeframes. PM Sir Keir Starmer has said that the government will be ‘pushing on with nuclear’, but the company is urging policymakers to set out a long-term plan for investing in sustainable nuclear energy and to provide more efficient direction to ensure that projects transition from ideation and planning to construction, without the risk of unnecessary delays and rising costs.

With energy production increasing in accordance with growing demand, Egis believes it is essential that sustainable energy, such as nuclear, has the sufficient investment and support behind it to become a long-term solution to the country’s energy needs. To speed up the delivery of nuclear power generation required to meet the UK’s growing energy needs, the company is encouraging the government to collaborate with the industry’s key players to implement a strategic and co-ordinated approach to the planning, implementation and construction of new nuclear projects. This includes the requirement that new technologies continue to be developed and tested, such as fusion, small modular reactors (SMRs) and advanced modular reactors (AMRs), which could play an important role alongside large nuclear reactors as a low-carbon sources of secure energy.

Francois-Xavier Basselot, MD, Energy & Sustainable Cities – Europe & Africa at Egis, comments: “The UK has not been efficient enough to realise the potential of nuclear thus far, but today’s announcement from the prime minister to move forward is promising. There have been a number of well-reported challenges associated with planning and delivering nuclear power stations, and these will remain unless the UK government takes immediate steps for nuclear to play a larger part in Britain’s energy mix.

“Over the last decade, we have seen the UK government change its mind on decisions linked to nuclear, meaning we have not been able to develop new plants as efficiently as other countries around the world. A more efficient planning process is therefore required to accelerate the rate of projects that move to the construction phase, as well as further investment into new technology and skills.”

Egis and its partners have already played an important role in driving down the costs of nuclear, such as its work on large scale power plants that are currently under construction. Egis is continuing to replicate this approach as lead design engineer for the Nuclear Island main civil works. Replication is viewed as the first step for industrialisation and long-term cost reductions.

The business has also invested into building the skills of the UK’s workforce, by recruiting and developing local talents as well as bringing in expertise from its international team who regularly deliver nuclear projects in France and globally. This investment will enable the UK to bridge the current skills shortage within the nuclear industry that has grown over the last three decades, contributing to high project costs and a lack of diverse homegrown and international talent within the country.

Francois Martin, chief nuclear officer, Egis Group, adds: “We have gained invaluable experience in all aspects of the nuclear planning front in countries across the globe, including from the very beginning in France, where we have supported the country’s nuclear campaign as a key technical partner. With nuclear set to grow over the coming years, we are dedicated to increasing both the homegrown and international talent available to the UK.”