The UK government is planning to play a larger role in the country’s nuclear power industry in order to offset uncertainties in the energy market, Chris Heffer, the director of nuclear power at the country’s department of energy security and net zero (DESNZ), said at an industry event on 23 February.

Heffer cited as evidence of this commitment the government’s investment of around €4.10bn (£3.50bn, $4.45bn) in the planned 3,260-MW Sizewell C nuclear plant in eastern England, the ongoing competition organized by DESNZ to select at least one small modular reactor (SMR) design for deployment in the UK by the early 2030s and investment through the government’s future nuclear enabling fund (FNEF) in enhancing fuel fabrication and uranium conversion capacity in the UK.