Self sufficient Britain! Seven new nuclear plants by 2050 – Boris’s bid to secure funding
Boris Johnson takes aim at Labour for lack of nuclear energy
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With multiple factors heavily impacting Britain’s energy supplies, from the war in Ukraine to rising prices in supply chains, the race is on to make the UK more self-sufficient. Mr Johnson this week lashed out at Sir Keir Starmer and the wider Labour Party over previous policies by former Governments holding back on building new nuclear plants in Britain.
Slamming the benches opposite, Mr Johnson said: “Why have the French got 56 nuclear reactors and we’ve got barely six?
“Whose fault was it?
“Labour part obviously, but I leave that on side.”
Now Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng is teaming up with the Prime Minister to push for the building of more reactors across the UK.
Mr Kwarteng said: “There is a realisation across Government we could do more on nuclear.
“With energy, you’re thinking maybe 30, even 40 years [ahead]. If we fast forward to 2050, there is a world where we have six or seven sites in the UK.
“That isn’t going to happen in the next two years, but it’s definitely something we can aspire to.”
Mr Kwateng added: “The Prime Minister said, in terms of the energy generation mix, we could see maybe a quarter being nuclear.
I’d say 15 to 25 percent. But obviously, in the first three years, you’re not going to suddenly have six new nuclear stations in three years.
“It’s physically impossible to do that.”
However, the plans come with a caveat.
Mr Johnson and Mr Kwarteng have yet to convince Chancellor Rishi Sunak to agree on the financial side of the ambitious project.
Mr Sunak has openly resisted the notion of “rushing to nuclear power.”
Defending Mr Sunak, one Government source said Mr Johnson’s plans amounted to “high-level ambitions”, adding: “Obviously you can’t sign off funding for a policy when you don’t have the detail of how it’s going to work yet.”
Yet following convincing arguments laid out by the PM and Energy Secretary, a meeting last week appears to have ended in a deal on expanding Britain’s nuclear energy facilities.
The energy security strategy, due to be unveiled on Thursday, is expected to commit the Government to support the construction of at least two new large-scale plants by 2030 in addition to small modular reactors.
A government source said: “Nuclear will definitely look larger in the British energy mix by the end of this decade.”
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Aside from nuclear plants, other forms of energy providers are also being considered.
Reports are also emerged of desires to invest heavily in renewable sources of energy.
Mr Johnson has pushed for a “colossal” wind farm in the Irish Sea, capable of producing “gigawatts of energy” during a roundtable meeting at Downing Street with industry leaders.
The plans are so ambitious, that power could be flowing from the project within one year.
After the meeting was held, a Downing Street spokesperson said: “While the UK was already a world leader in offshore wind, the Prime Minister told attendees he had an insatiable desire to further maximise supply.
“This would support high-wage, high-skilled jobs while ensuring the UK can deliver net-zero by 2050 and meet its energy needs for the future.
“Attendees discussed a range of issues relevant to the sector, including improving the resilience of the energy grid, reducing costs and exploring what more could be done to ensure locally supported wind farms can be built in good time.”
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Currently, Britain and every other European country lag significantly behind the French when it comes to the number of operational nuclear power stations.
France currently enjoys well over 50 power plants, whilst Germany sits in second place on 12.
Of the dozen plants in Germany, 3 are closing soon, whilst the other 9 have already ceased operations.
Adding 7 more plants in the UK would see Britain rise into second place.
With such energy in production, the Government hopes to make the UK less reliant on imported energy.
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