The government’s announcement to pour billions of pounds into Sizewell C and roll out untested small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear plants is about building up its nuclear weapons programme rather than securing energy self-sufficiency.
Rolls-Royce, which builds reactors for Britain’s nuclear submarine fleet, was declared the winner of the government’s SMR competition. Chancellor Rachel Reeves made the announcement as part of a £6 billion investment in Britain’s nuclear submarine infrastructure.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, meanwhile, said the government would invest an additional £14.2 billion into Sizewell C, saying the plant would ensure Britain’s energy self-sufficiency.
CND General Secretary Sophie Bolt said:
“The British people shouldn’t be shouldered with the huge costs of this dangerous, costly, and unsustainable energy source. It’s untrue of the government to say that nuclear power will make the country energy ‘self-sufficient’ as Britain must import uranium to fuel its reactors – with 35% of the world’s uranium supply coming from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.
Small Modular Reactors and the EPR design proposed for Sizewell C are either untested designs or plagued with problems, which will add further costs to customers. The building of more nuclear reactors will only add to Britain’s toxic waste problem. The Commons’ Public Accounts Committee recently criticised the ongoing mess at Sellafield – which will continue to leak into the ground until the 2050s.
In reality, this has nothing to do with energy security and everything to do with building up Britain’s deadly nuclear weapons programme. The government must reverse this disastrous direction and instead channel investment into genuinely self-reliant renewables like wind, solar, and tidal energy.”