The UK’s Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce has released its interim report, identifying structural weaknesses in the current regulatory framework—specifically, procedural complexity, slow approvals, and high costs—that are holding back both large-scale nuclear projects and advanced technologies. The report calls for a “once-in-a-generation” reform to secure energy security, enable the net-zero transition, and sustain the UK’s strategic deterrent capability.

(Image: EDF Energy)

Key Issues

The Taskforce points to several core problems:

• Procedural Redundancy: Multiple agencies perform overlapping functions, leading to duplication of work and inconsistent standards.

• Excessive Risk Aversion: Regulations are designed to avoid even the rarest risks, resulting in prolonged timelines and escalating costs.

• Technological Misalignment: The framework lags behind innovations such as small modular reactors (SMRs) and advanced pressurised water reactors (APWRs).

This has delayed major projects like Sizewell C and prolonged approvals for new designs, with the Rolls-Royce SMR taking years to navigate the process.

Reform Priorities

The Taskforce recommends reforms in six key areas:

1. Harmonise Standards and Streamline Processes to reduce duplication.

2. Optimise Risk Management Culture to balance safety and efficiency.

3. Upgrade Planning and Licensing Systems for flexible market entry of SMRs and advanced reactors.

4. Strengthen Regulatory Workforce Capacity to address looming skills shortages.

5. Promote International Regulatory Collaboration to shorten cross-border approvals.

6. Integrate Delay Cost Analysis into regulatory decision-making.

Policy and Industry Context

• Cost Pressures: According to The Times, Hinkley Point C’s costs have surged from £18 billion in 2016 to £48 billion, partly due to 7,000 design modifications prompted by regulatory requirements.

• Planning Reform Commitments: The Labour government has pledged to remove site restrictions for large nuclear plants, abolish planning deadlines, and accelerate SMR deployment.

• Industry Endorsement: The Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) and the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) have both welcomed the reform agenda, stressing the importance of practical and enforceable measures.

Global Regulatory Practices and Policy Lessons

• Proportionality Principle: Adopted in the EU and Canada, this principle ensures regulatory measures are proportionate to the actual level of risk, avoiding excessive “over-insurance” that drives up costs.

• Path Dependence and Institutional Lock-In: France addressed such challenges during its EPR rollout by implementing a one-time legal revision to streamline approval stages and avoid repetitive design reviews.

• International Convergence: In sectors like aviation, space, and pharmaceuticals, mutual recognition agreements have sped up approvals. The US NRC and Canada’s CNSC now operate a joint SMR technical review, allowing evaluation results to be shared and recognised bilaterally.

• Flexible Licensing Models: Finland introduced “dynamic licensing” during the late stages of Olkiluoto 3’s construction, enabling design changes to be approved without halting on-site work, thus reducing delays.

These cases demonstrate that safety and efficiency need not be mutually exclusive. Through regulatory innovation and cross-border cooperation, the UK can maintain its high safety standards while significantly improving project delivery speed.

The UK’s nuclear regulatory regime has earned global respect for its safety standards, but it now faces growing challenges in accommodating technological advances and meeting construction timelines. The Taskforce’s proposals offer a timely opportunity to align energy policy, industrial strategy, and climate goals. If implemented effectively, the reforms could accelerate both large-scale nuclear and SMR projects, strengthen the UK’s net-zero pathway, and bolster its energy sovereignty.