Close Menu
Energy NewsEnergy News
  • NEWS
    • Breaking News
    • Hydrogen
    • Energy Storage
    • Grid
    • SMR
    • Projects
    • Production
    • Transport
    • Research
  • SPOTLIGHT
    • Interviews
    • Face 2 Face
    • Podcast
    • Webinars
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Reviews
    • Events
  • REGIONAL
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia
    • Europe
    • Middle east
    • Pacific
  • COMMUNITY
  • ABOUT
    • Advisory Board
    • Contact us
    • Report Your News
    • Advertize
    • Subscribe
LinkedIn X (Twitter) YouTube Facebook
Trending
  • Hydrogen Offtake Contracts Reveal Critical Gaps Despite Record Investment Surge
  • Egypt Solar Manufacturing Hub Faces Scale Limitations Despite $220M Regional Investment
  • Western Australia CIS Tenders Signal Grid Integration Challenges Despite AU$4 Billion Investment
  • French Energy Company Tests Unconventional Gas Strategy Amid Europe’s Supply Crisis
  • Novelis Hydrogen Trial Exposes Infrastructure Dependencies Despite Technical Success
  • TWO DAY MASTERCLASS ON: EXPLOITATION & COMMERCIALIZATION POTENTIAL OF NATURAL HYDROGEN
  • Fossil Fuel Giants Intensify Legal Battles Against Climate Policies Through ISDS System
  • Fortescue Reports Lowest Profit in Six Years, Adjusts Green Hydrogen Timelines Amid Market Pressures
LinkedIn X (Twitter) YouTube Facebook
Energy NewsEnergy News
  • NEWS
    • Breaking News
    • Hydrogen
    • Energy Storage
    • Grid
    • SMR
    • Projects
    • Production
    • Transport
    • Research
  • SPOTLIGHT
    • Interviews
    • Face 2 Face
    • Podcast
    • Webinars
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Reviews
    • Events
  • REGIONAL
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia
    • Europe
    • Middle east
    • Pacific
  • COMMUNITY
  • ABOUT
    • Advisory Board
    • Contact us
    • Report Your News
    • Advertize
    • Subscribe
Energy NewsEnergy News
Home Home - SMR
Small Modular Reactors

UK Nuclear Deployment Stalled by Regulatory Complexity, Taskforce Warns

Anela DoksoBy Anela Dokso13/08/20252 Mins Read
Share
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email WhatsApp Telegram

Britain’s nuclear sector faces deployment delays of up to a decade compared to peer nations due to what the UK’s Nuclear Taskforce describes as “unnecessarily slow, inefficient and costly” regulation.

In its interim report released on August 11, 2025, the body warns that outdated planning frameworks and a fragmented oversight system are undermining both civil nuclear projects and the cost efficiency of the UK’s nuclear deterrent.

The report—commissioned by the prime minister in February and led by former Office of Fair Trading chief executive John Fingleton—argues that a “once-in-a-generation reset” is needed. The taskforce points to three critical problem areas: overlapping regulatory processes, a risk-averse safety culture, and planning systems unsuited to emerging reactor technologies such as small modular reactors (SMRs) and advanced modular reactors (AMRs).

While the UK’s Office for Nuclear Regulation is internationally respected for its safety rigor, the report questions whether the growing procedural complexity has delivered proportionate benefits. Fingleton notes that the layering of new rules over decades has created duplication between agencies, with similar safety assessments repeated by different regulators. This, the taskforce warns, not only adds cost but also pushes delivery timelines beyond market-relevant windows—an acute risk for SMRs competing against rapidly deployed renewables and gas generation abroad.

The taskforce also highlights how the current planning regime fails to accommodate the modular, distributed nature of new nuclear designs. SMRs and AMRs are intended for flexible siting—often near industrial demand hubs—but existing planning laws are written for gigawatt-scale coastal stations, requiring extensive rework for each application. This mismatch, combined with a reluctance within the system to challenge entrenched practices, is contributing to cost escalation and loss of investor confidence.

As a preliminary response, the government will collaborate with the taskforce to create a strategic direction that prioritises speed without compromising safety. The final recommendations, due this autumn, are expected to include streamlining approvals into a single coordinated process, embedding proportionate risk management, and aligning planning policy with the technical profiles of new nuclear technologies.


Stay updated on the latest in energy! Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X for real-time news and insights. Don’t miss out on exclusive interviews and webinars—subscribe to our YouTube channel today! Join our community and be part of the conversation shaping the future of energy.

smr
Share. LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email

Related Posts

green hydrogen

Hydrogen Offtake Contracts Reveal Critical Gaps Despite Record Investment Surge

29/08/2025
Solar

Egypt Solar Manufacturing Hub Faces Scale Limitations Despite $220M Regional Investment

29/08/2025
Batteries Grid

Western Australia CIS Tenders Signal Grid Integration Challenges Despite AU$4 Billion Investment

29/08/2025
Hydrogen Gas

French Energy Company Tests Unconventional Gas Strategy Amid Europe’s Supply Crisis

29/08/2025
Hydrogen

Novelis Hydrogen Trial Exposes Infrastructure Dependencies Despite Technical Success

29/08/2025
NATURAL HYDROGEN

TWO DAY MASTERCLASS ON: EXPLOITATION & COMMERCIALIZATION POTENTIAL OF NATURAL HYDROGEN

28/08/2025
green hydrogen

Hydrogen Offtake Contracts Reveal Critical Gaps Despite Record Investment Surge

29/08/2025
Solar

Egypt Solar Manufacturing Hub Faces Scale Limitations Despite $220M Regional Investment

29/08/2025
Batteries Grid

Western Australia CIS Tenders Signal Grid Integration Challenges Despite AU$4 Billion Investment

29/08/2025
Hydrogen Gas

French Energy Company Tests Unconventional Gas Strategy Amid Europe’s Supply Crisis

29/08/2025

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest news from the hydrogen market subscribe to our newsletter.

LinkedIn X (Twitter) Facebook YouTube

News

  • Inteviews
  • Webinars
  • Hydrogen
  • Spotlight
  • Regional

Company

  • Advertising
  • Media Kits
  • Contact Info
  • GDPR Policy

Subscriptions

  • Subscribe
  • Newsletters
  • Sponsored News

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest news from EnergyNewsBiz about hydrogen.

© 2025 EnergyNews.biz
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Accessibility

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.