The Clean Energy Revolution: Which Way is the Wind of Energy Blowing?

No Going Back

Fossil fuels powered us through the Industrial Revolution and without them, the UK (and the world) would look very different. We can’t deny that coal and oil have brought enormous benefits to our society and people's everyday lives. However, the environmental impact of this energy production has been catastrophic for individuals and nature, directly and indirectly responsible for countless deaths, and the destruction of so much of the natural world. In an era where there is more than one path to take to produce our energy, it is imperative for us as a society to opt for the path with the lowest negative impact, regardless of the short-term costs involved in the switch.

In recent years, the energy produced from green sources has skyrocketed, with a massive increase in the installation of solar and wind technologies. Many are sceptical or overly critical of these renewable sources due to their dependence on the uncontrollable factors of sunlight and wind speed, which result in a variable level of energy generated. The UK’s requirement, however, is for a constant and reliable stream of energy and electricity. Our lives literally depend on it; when we boil the kettle for our morning tea, when we walk through an automatic door at Tesco, or even as you’re reading this now, we rely on it. Electricity use is not something we can avoid, nor should we, but it must be responsibly produced to ensure a safe and prosperous future for humanity and the planet. One solution to fill the gap that these purely renewable sources leave is nuclear energy.  

In the 1990s, nuclear power produced 25% of UK energy, but this number has dropped to just 14%, which puts additional strain on other sources of energy and leads to some believing fossil fuels can and should pick up the slack, further damaging our planet.

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Is Nuclear Power the Answer?

Nuclear power provokes a variety of thoughts; for some it’s a reminder of war-time tragedies such as the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, whilst others think back to high-profile disasters such as Chernobyl or Fukushima. Nuclear power is a tool which can clearly be misused, but nevertheless has great potential for much-needed energy generation. Nuclear is not in competition with renewables; rather, it can serve as a complementary force in the progression to cleaner power.  

While the finite amount of uranium fuel makes nuclear power non-renewable and toxic waste is a byproduct, it is certainly a cleaner and lower-carbon energy source than fossil fuels, and it allows for a base-level energy output, unlike wind or solar. Because of this, energy can be produced whether it is sunny or cloudy, winter or summer, windy or calm – reliability the UK, where the only thing we can predict is unpredictability, needs.

Nuclear has the advantage that it can quickly adapt to the energy needs of consumers, and this is what makes it so valuable to us. It is not a sole solution to our energy and environmental crises but instead could be a team player in the game of gaining independence from coal and oil, the emissions from which are slowly poisoning our atmosphere.  

Eager Investors

Many governments are recognising the need for clean energy, and the UK desires to be a leader in this industry. The British government has heavily invested in technology for clean energy and production, demonstrating the UK’s aptitude for progression. Ed Miliband, the UK Energy Secretary, has stated that as many as 400,000 new jobs could be created in the clean energy sector by 2030, many of which will be highly skilled and well-paid. However, new skills are needed as we enter this new age of clean energy, which the workforce cannot currently provide at sufficient levels. Recognising this, the UK government is investing 2.5 million GBP in five Technical Excellence colleges to train workers with the skills needed for this newly prominent sector.  

The government's focus on educating key workers shows some forethought for the future, whilst also attempting to positively impact prominent societal issues such as the high unemployment rate and low salaries throughout the country. These new jobs will likely positively influence people’s views on nuclear energy, which many are sceptical of, and early investment in training skilled workers could benefit communities even before power generation has really kicked off.

Great British Energy (GBE) has been a key beneficiary of the UK’s investments into the future of energy. GBE is a publicly owned company which intends to accelerate the transition to cleaner energy methods, and it is receiving 8.3 billion GBP across this parliamentary term, which has been allocated to building offshore wind farms, installing solar panels across the country, and other low-carbon projects. It is largely due to government investment such as this that we are now able to produce over half of our electricity via renewable and clean sources. Whilst this is, without doubt, a feat to be proud of, many will rightfully not be content until 100% of our energy is from clean sources.

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The Fast Track to Nuclear

The UK has been progressing its ambitions of nuclear energy production and recently unveiled an agreement with the United States: The Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy. This creates a bridge between the two countries’ nuclear industries and reduces the time required for regulatory approval of nuclear projects from four years to two. By connecting the US and UK with this deal, projects and technologies approved for safe implementation in one of the countries can more easily be used to support the approval of the technology in the other.

Both countries benefit from strong private nuclear sectors; most prominently, the UK is home to Rolls-Royce (which has been chosen to build the first UK SMRs). Keir Starmer has previously stated that he wants the UK to return to being “one of the world’s leaders on nuclear”. The collaboration can reduce one of nuclear’s key drawbacks, the lengthy approval times. Despite Starmer’s ambitions, the proportion of nuclear energy generated compared to other forms has been steadily declining. This could be explained by both increasing demand for energy and a plateau in the nuclear industry: the last nuclear power plant was built in 1995 (Sizewell B), and currently only nine plants operate in the UK. Of these, eight are in the process of being decommissioned, or due to be decommissioned within the next decade. Therefore, unless swift action is taken, the contribution of nuclear will drop even further. This is where the emerging technology of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) comes into play.  

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An IKEA Inspired Future

Small Modular Reactors are a fraction of the size of traditional plants, meaning that less construction and planning is required to successfully set up an active reactor. The key benefit of this technology lies in what it could be in the future. As these reactors are modular, their parts could eventually be manufactured in factories, which could then essentially function as IKEAs for nuclear power plants. Instead of picking up a nice white SMÅSTAD table, you could pick up an SMR with the potential to produce 300 megawatts of power - a slight difference - you can see why the UK is excited. Additionally, the commissioning and decommissioning of these SMRs would be significantly quicker than that of traditional plants. SMRs, however, require an extensive infrastructure, which we do not currently have and will not have for many years to come.  

SMRs require significant funding initially and may suffer from existing process flaws that traditional nuclear plants have – the industry is notorious for being a sponge for time and money. Sizewell C is a traditional plant already under construction (following its predecessors A and B). This project was initially budgeted at 20 billion GBP but has since been updated to cost a whopping 38 billion GBP, and the completion date has been pushed back. These failures may be attributed to poor initial estimates and workforce issues, as a reactor has not been built in this country for many years. This is exactly what makes many sceptical of nuclear. This is a stage of setbacks and extortionate costs that would need to be pushed past in order to enjoy the benefits that SMRs can bring.  

The technological world is a greedy consumer of electricity and is forever advancing and pushing the boundaries of what was previously possible. Artificial Intelligence developments are an example of this; the abhorrently massive data centres required to handle your ChatGPT conversations do not come cheap. These electricity-hungry monsters and the companies behind them are eager to latch onto any new technology which can handle their needs, and hence, hefty investments have already been made into the nuclear sector by private companies and governments alike. It is clear nuclear is here to stay.

Final Thoughts

It is no surprise that the need for energy is forever growing and that changes are needed in the way that the UK and, by extension, the world produces it. Seemingly, the UK government is recognising this and is starting to act. Non-fossil-fuel energies are gaining real traction and will hopefully create monumental change in reducing our impact on the plane. In recent news, there has been lots of optimism towards nuclear development, but this should not overshadow the incredible progress being made in renewables. The global energy crisis is one that should be tackled from many angles. By utilising methods in tandem to drive change, I am hopeful for a cleaner future supported by clean energies, and see this as only the beginning of a real revolution.