U.K.’s Johnson Sees Small Nuclear Reactors Running by 2030
- Britain needs ‘big-ticket nuclear solutions,’ premier says
- Small modular reactor could be built ‘by end of the decade’
Boris Johnson
Photographer: Chris J. Ratcliffe/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Small nuclear reactors could be contributing power to the U.K. grid by the end of the decade, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, accelerating a timeline set by his own government.
So-called small modular reactors (SMRs) are needed as part of the “big-ticket nuclear solutions” to Britain’s energy supply, along with the construction of Sizewell C nuclear plant, Johnson told the House of Commons Liaison Committee on Wednesday. Pressed on how long it would take for an SMR to be up and running, Johnson said: “I saw a bit of paper last night that said they think that before the end of the decade -- but they will have to go quicker than that.”