The UK government has set out plans for what it claims will be Britain’s biggest nuclear power expansion in 70 years with the possible construction of about 11 new reactors by 2050 – enough to meet a quarter of the national electricity demand.

Ministers published a roadmap that recommits the government to building a fleet of nuclear reactors capable of producing 24 GW by 2050 – an increase from around 5.8 GW today.

Approval will be given for one or two new reactors every five years from 2030 to 2044, and backing given to another large-scale nuclear station in addition to Hinkley Point C – a project which has seen delays and rising costs – and the planned Sizewell C, each of which will have two France-supplied EPR units.

The new station would be similar in size to these existing projects, with plans for several more plants to follow before 2050.

The 24 GW target equates to about 11 new reactors the size of the 1,600 MW Hinkley Point C EPRs coming online by the middle of the century.