Changes to planning rules brought in by the Government mean Rolls-Royce SMR’s ‘factory-built’ nuclear power plants can be deployed flexibly in more locations – closer to centres of high energy demand – and will support the UK’s energy intensive industries including datacentres, AI infrastructure and hydrogen production.
And that’s been welcomed by Alastair Evans, Rolls-Royce SMR’s Director of Corporate Affairs. He said: “This is a clear statement of intent from the Government. This announcement, coupled with wider planning reform that is focused on growth, will pave the way for the UK to re-establish itself as a global leader in nuclear. This will align the planning of nuclear projects with all other forms of electricity infrastructure and enable projects to be delivered in the longer term.
“There is a range of existing nuclear sites, ready for development now, that will be unlocked by a commitment to the SMR programme in the upcoming Spending Review. It is therefore vital that winners of the SMR selection process are announced in the Spring, to give certainty to these nuclear communities.”
Progress at pace – including a decision by GBN as early as possible this year – will create thousands of jobs, unlock export potential and have a transformative effect on growth and the wider UK economy.
Rolls-Royce SMR offers a radically different approach to delivering new nuclear power, with each plant providing enough low-carbon electricity to power a million homes for more than 60 years on a site that is a fraction of the size of a large ‘gigawatt-scale’ nuclear power station.
