Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they gave, in deciding on introducing additional electricity generation by way of new gas facilities, to whether these requirements could have been met by accelerating the small modular reactors programme.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
A range of sources of generation contribute to system flexibility, especially when the wind isn't blowing or the sun isn't shining. In the case of nuclear, Great British Nuclear is running a Technology Selection Process for Small Modular Reactors. The Government’s aim is to run the fastest competition of its kind in the world, to identify technologies with the potential to deliver projects in the mid-2030s.
In the immediate term, to maintain security of electricity supply, a limited amount of new gas capacity is needed as the main mature technology capable of providing sustained flexible capacity.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the delay in Great British Nuclear's selection of small modular reactor designs for public support and its awarding of contracts for development.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
At Spring Budget, we announced the launch of the next phase of the Great British Nuclear (GBN) Small Modular Reactor selection process, allowing vendors to bid for potentially multi-billion-pound technology development contracts. It is important that this process is robust. Companies will have until June to submit their tender responses, at which point GBN will assess these and negotiate final contracts, with the goal of announcing successful bidders later in 2024. The aim is for the competition to be the fastest of its kind in the world.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the reason for the further delay in Great British Nuclear making a decision on selecting small modular reactor designs, which was to have been by the spring to allow for development contracts to be agreed by the summer, and what is now the proposed schedule.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
There is no delay. At Spring Budget, we announced the launch of the next phase of the Great British Nuclear (GBN) Small Modular Reactor selection process, allowing vendors to bid for potentially multi-billion-pound technology development contracts. It is important that this process is robust. Companies will have until June to submit their tender responses, at which point GBN will assess these and negotiate final contracts, with the goal of announcing successful bidders later in 2024. The aim is for the competition to be the fastest of its kind in the world.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support is available to businesses that export British civil nuclear technology, including small modular reactors.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
My Department recognises that nuclear technology, including small modular reactors (SMRs), offers a significant UK export opportunity, which could create substantial economic benefits.
The Department for Business and Trade is proud to be supporting the sector, including SMR technology companies, and is working closely with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Ofiice, and across our overseas network, to offer a full range of support for UK exports to responsible nuclear nations.
This includes UK Export Finance, who can consider a range of options to support overseas sales, including loan guarantees for foreign buyers, and working capital, insurance and bond support products to assist UK suppliers.
Asked by: Sarah Jones (Labour - Croydon Central)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department made of the adequacy of proposals from Solway Community Power Company for the development of small modular reactors at Moorside; how much land is required for that proposed development; and how many meetings have taken place between the Department and that company.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department has had multiple engagements with Community Power Limited but has not at present made any assessment on their proposal. The Government launched the Alternative Routes to Market for New Nuclear Projects consultation on the 11th January 2024. This consultation explores what steps Government can take to enable different routes to market for Advanced Nuclear Technologies (ANTs) and how Government can support the private sector to bring forward new nuclear projects. In the case of Moorside, it would be natural for the site’s location adjacent to Sellafield to be factored into any decision.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to maximise the use of UK-manufactured components in small modular reactors in the UK.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Small Modular Reactor technology selection process, launched last year by Great British Nuclear, is an open and competitive process. The priority is to select those technologies best able to facilitate operational projects by the mid-2030s. As with any Government decision, this will be subject to value for money, relevant approvals, and technology readiness. This is an exciting time for nuclear and the scale of our ambition means there are likely to be significant supply chain opportunities associated with projects going forward.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the timeline for the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) competition, and when they expect the first SMR to come online in the UK.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
On 2 October 2023 the government and Great British Nuclear announced the outcome of the latest phase of the SMR Technology Selection Process, with six technology vendors down-selected to go forward to the next stage. The next stage of the process will be launched very shortly. The ambition is to announce in 2024 which of the six companies the Government will support.
The aim is for this to be the fastest competition of its kind in the world, to facilitate operational projects in the mid-2030s.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to encourage or support merchant nuclear shipping.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution announced the Advanced Nuclear Fund of up to £385 million to invest in the next generation of nuclear technologies. This includes up to £215 million for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) to develop a domestic smaller-scale power plant technology design, and up to £170 million for a research and development programme to deliver an Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) demonstration by the early 2030s. In the Net Zero Strategy the Government announced up to £120 million for a new Future Nuclear Enabling Fund to provide targeted support to address barriers to entry.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their current assessment of the suitability of constructing a small modular nuclear reactor at the nuclear power station in Trawsfynydd in Gwynedd.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Trawsfynydd could be a candidate for new nuclear in future and is one of a number of potential sites that could host new civil nuclear projects, subject to National planning policy, regulatory approvals and technical assessments.
As a first step towards developing a new nuclear National Policy Statement, Government is consulting on a proposed policy for determining how new nuclear power stations will be sited beyond 2025, including the potential for Small Modular Reactors and other advanced nuclear technologies.
Whilst no decision on sites has been taken, Great British Nuclear is working with Government to support access to potential new nuclear sites, and is open to discuss potential opportunities with site owners.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when the Government expects the first modular nuclear reactor to operate in the UK; and what stages must be passed through to achieve that.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In 2023 Great British Nuclear launched a technology selection process for Small Modular Reactors, with the aim of identifying those technologies best able to facilitate a project Final Investment Decision by the end of the next Parliament and operational projects in the mid-2030s, potentially releasing billions of pounds of private and public investment.
In October 2023 six technology vendors were down-selected and announced.
The next stage of the competitive selection process will be launched within weeks. The ambition is to announce in 2024 which of the six companies the Government will support.