2 months ago
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In a letter received by the Scottish Nuclear Free Local Authorities (SNFLAs), Energy Minister Gillian Martin has provided reassurance that the Scottish Government remains opposed to building any new nuclear power plants in Scotland ‘using current technologies’ and that this includes Small or Advanced Modular Reactors which also employ ‘traditional fission nuclear power’.
In their letter to Scottish Government Ministers, the SNFLAs urged them not to fall for the nuclear industry’s rhetoric that so-called Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs) represent a step-change beyond the existing fission nuclear plants which have been plagued by failure. We have previously written to Ministers with our concerns over possible plans to install Small Modular Reactors at Grangemouth and at the new Green Freeports, and received similar reassurance that all such plans would be rebuffed.
With their letter the SNFLAs sent in a forensic briefing written by Steve Thomas, Emeritus Professor of Energy Policy, University of Greenwich, and Pete Roche, Policy Advisor to the Scottish Nuclear Free Local Authorities which identified that AMRs are not actually advanced, having been tried as prototypes and demonstration plants, and found wanting, in the post-war era. Current designs represent more of the same, being unproven and unbuilt.
The briefing can be found at: https://www.nuclearpolicy.info/briefings/nfla-policy-briefing-292-prospects-for-advanced-modular-reactors-in-the-uk/
The Minister agreed with our analysis that AMRs ‘will be expensive and are unlikely to be ready in time to contribute towards Scotland’s ambition of being Net Zero by 2045’ and makes plain that the Scottish Government holds a similar view to the SNFLAs that ‘significant growth’ in renewables and storage provides ‘the best pathway to net zero by 2045.’
Ends//… For further information please contact the NFLA Secretary, Richard Outram, by email at richard.outram@manchester.gov.uk
Note to Editors
A related media release was issued on 9 February: https://www.nuclearpolicy.info/news/more-of-the-same-advanced-modular-reactors-a-history-of-fantasy-and-failure/
The letter sent to Scottish Government ministers on 7 February read:
Neil Gray MSP,
Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy,
Email: cabsecwefwe@gov.scot
Màiri McAllan MSP,
Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition,
Email: CabSecTNZJT@gov.scot
Gillian Martin MSP,
Minister for Energy and the Environment,
Email: MinisterEE@gov.scot
Dear Cabinet Secretary / Minister,
As you will know, the Nuclear Free Local Authorities support the Scottish Government’s position on nuclear power, as detailed in the Draft Scottish Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, which says it does:
“…not support the building of new nuclear power plants under current technologies.”
We are also supportive of the Strategy’s statement that:
“…small modular reactors, or SMRs … use the same nuclear fission technology as the power generating process found in larger traditional nuclear power plants and carry the same environmental concerns.”
We have also noted an increasing interest from the Westminster Government in so-called Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs). We are writing to express our concern that some politicians and lobbyists may attempt to argue that AMRs should not be categorised as reactors using current technologies.
We therefore enclose our briefing on AMRs written jointly by Steve Thomas, Emeritus Professor of Energy Policy, University of Greenwich, and Pete Roche, Policy Advisor for the Scottish Nuclear Free Local Authorities.
You will note from the briefing that AMR prototypes and demonstration plants built have all been problematic. The UK Government’s AMR effort appears to be focusing on High Temperature Gas Reactors (HTGRs). These reactors do not raise the same safety issues as Light Water Reactors but raise a different set of issues.
In July 2020, the UK Government announced £10m in funding for each of two reactor designs, the Westinghouse Lead-cooled Fast Reactor (LFR) and the U-Battery HTGR micro-reactor. This funding has essentially failed with neither technology still being pursued. By December 2021, the July 2020 policy appeared to have been abandoned and the government announced that its AMR programme would focus mainly on HTGRs capable of operating in the range 700-950°C, but it looks unlikely that a suitable UK-design will be ready to make a significant contribution to net zero goals for 2050. In September 2022 undisclosed sums were awarded to four different designs. Then in July 2023 a further £53.5m in funding for HTGRs was awarded, but it now looks as though these reactors may not be able to operate at temperatures high enough to synthesise hydrogen efficiently.
In short, the UK Government’s plans for AMRs will be expensive, unlikely to be able to contribute anything to our net zero goals by 2050, will still present safety and environmental concerns and will still generate nuclear waste. So, in all important aspects AMRs will not be any different from current designs.
We would welcome your comments and would be happy to discuss the contents of this letter and that attached briefing with you or your office team. Please respond in the first instance to the UK/Ireland NFLA Secretary Richard Outram by email to richard.outram@manchester.gov.uk Thank you.
Yours Sincerely,
Councillor Paul Leinster,
Convenor, Scottish Nuclear Free Local Authorities
The reply received from the Minister for Energy, Just Transition and Fair Work on 19 February 2024 reads:
GILLIAN MARTIN
