Replacement nuclear build: a UK perspective

Abstract

For the first time in its history the UK faces the prospect of becoming largely dependent on imported energy sources for its electricity production. At the same time, all but one of Britain's existing nuclear power stations will soon be retired, removing a secure, large scale source of essentially carbon free electricity from the system. These factors pose risks to the security and diversity of the UK's future energy supplies, and seriously jeopardise the achievement of environmental targets for carbon dioxide emissions reductions. Nuclear power's significant contribution to the fulfilment of the government's strategic energy policy and environmental objectives, and to the longer term transition towards a low carbon energy economy is thus threatened. In this paper I argue that it is essential for the benefits of nuclear energy to be fully understood and recognised, and for the UK government's energy policy review to ensure that the nuclear option continues to be available.