Britain imported more electricity in July than ever before, threatening its energy security by relying on power from abroad – including nuclear power generated by France and Belgium – instead of investing in its own green energy future, the London-based Nuclear Industry Association said.

The NIA said its analysis of Gridwatch data shows that Britain’s electricity imports reached their highest ever monthly level in July. Figures from National Grid ESO also show imports accounted for 15% of all of Britain’s electricity in July, with a 20% increase in the year-to-date average compared to last year.

Record imports mean that the UK is increasingly dependent on international market conditions and the energy policies of other countries. The UK also has no future guarantee of the carbon intensity of what it imports. Belgium says it will phase out nuclear by 2025 and has called for investment in gas, which has 40 times the carbon intensity of nuclear and wind, to partly replace that lost capacity. Britain also imports power from the Netherlands, which is heavily reliant on fossil fuels, including coal, for its electricity supply.