Reacting to the Prime Minister’s pledge at the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan to reduce the UK’s emissions by 81% compared with 1990 levels by 2035, in line with the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation, Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Assocation, said:
“This is an ambitious target which cements the UK’s commitment to ramping up clean power generation for greater energy security and cheaper bills. Nuclear, as the only source of clean, firm power, is vital to us meeting this pledge, and it’s only by backing new nuclear projects, both GW-scale and SMRs, alongside other clean energy technologies, that we have any hope of success.
“If no new nuclear is delivered between now and 2035, we’ll only have two stations online, Hinkley Point C and Sizewell B, providing 4.4 GW of power, which is less than we have online today. Long-term decisions are urgently needed on the future of nuclear in the UK so that we have the best opportunity to cut emissions.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
- The UK has nine reactors across five nuclear sites providing around 14% of the country’s electricity from 5.9 GW of capacity. Of the current nuclear fleet, only Sizewell B will be online after 2028. Hinkley Point C is due to come online between 2029 and 2031.
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