The UK government has opened its generic design assessment (GDA) process for nuclear power plants to advanced nuclear technologies such as small modular reactors.
The GDA allows the UK’s nuclear regulators to assess the safety, security, and environmental implications of new reactor designs. The GDA process was updated in 2020 to take account of lessons learned from previous GDAs and to recognise the emergence of advanced nuclear technologies.
In a guidance document published for reactor developers, government minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan noted that a 10-point plan announced by prime minister Boris Johnson in November 2020 said nuclear power, whether large-scale, small-scale, or advanced, will have a key role to play in meeting the UK’s net-zero targets.
The GDA allows the UK’s nuclear regulators to assess the safety, security, and environmental implications of new reactor designs. The GDA process was updated in 2020 to take account of lessons learned from previous GDAs and to recognise the emergence of advanced nuclear technologies.
In a guidance document published for reactor developers, government minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan noted that a 10-point plan announced by prime minister Boris Johnson in November 2020 said nuclear power, whether large-scale, small-scale, or advanced, will have a key role to play in meeting the UK’s net-zero targets.
The plan also set targets for the first nuclear power stations using SMRs to be built in the UK by the early 2030s, alongside an advanced modular reactor demonstration plant.
“With the publication of this guidance, we are unlocking a key step on the path to the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies in the UK,” Ms Trevelyan said.
