The minister said it is a “great pity” Scotland has opposed the construction of any nuclear plants amid the cost of living crisis in the UK and that he would be willing to sit down with first minister Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish energy secretary Michael Matheson to hear their concerns.
It has been a longstanding Scottish government and Scottish National Party policy to oppose nuclear, with the focus instead on the just transition to renewables. Until recently Scotland had four commercial nuclear reactors at two sites – Hunterston B and Torness.
The two Hunterston B units were shut down in November 2021 and January 2022, while the remaining two units at Torness are due to close in 2028, two years earlier than originally planned.
The UK trade union GMB warned in January that the Scottish government’s opposition to nuclear energy is costing jobs and investment, and called for funding to support a new generation of small modular reactors.
In November 2021, the Scottish branch of the same union warned politicians they run the risk of missing out on a new generation of nuclear power stations and the low-carbon electricity they generate without finalising plans to replace Hunterston B and Torness.
The UK government has said it will not “impose” any new nuclear power on Scotland despite plans announced in April to approve up to eight new reactors by 2030.
