The UK is on the cusp of a new era for nuclear. The conversation is shifting from technology and ambition to the practicalities of delivery and how the UK can build the skills, supply chains and capability to deliver nuclear programmes successfully, repeatedly and at scale.
We asked 5 people across NUVIA UK, from our CEO to one of our graduates, what they think needs to happen now, how nuclear businesses should prepare and what success would look like to them in 20 years’ time.
- Tom Jones, CEO, NUVIA UK
- Paula Quinn, Skills Impact & Engagement Director
- Pete Roberts, Key Account Director, New Build
- Alex Knowles, Graduate Mechanical Engineer
- Gayle Paton, Operations Manager
(Left to right)
What needs to happen now to turn the UK’s nuclear ambitions into reality?
Tom: “We need clarity on how much nuclear we want, where we want it and when we need it, backed by long-term political commitment. A 20 to 30-year pipeline would give industry the confidence to invest in the people, supply chains and capability to deliver.”
Pete: “We need to keep the momentum behind programmes like Hinkley, Sizewell C, Gwyndod and STEP, as well as maintaining funding for decommissioning. That means sustained cross-party support, attracting private investment and implementing the Fingleton Review recommendations to help turn ambition into delivery.”
Alex: “I think the UK needs to commit to a long-term programme of nuclear projects and standardise delivery where possible. Standardised designs and manufacturing, particularly through SMRs, will help us move away from one-off projects and deliver new nuclear faster and more efficiently.”
What are we not talking about enough when it comes to delivering the UK’s nuclear ambitions?
Paula: “Making sure the places where new build projects will be delivered have the skills, businesses, education capacity, housing, transport and community infrastructure to benefit from them. If we want nuclear investment to create genuine long-term economic value, we have to involve communities early and understand what they need to participate.”
Pete: “We need to look beyond the technology. Delivering new nuclear will depend just as much on getting the finance, sites, fuel supply and long-term waste strategy right.”
Gayle: “We can have the investment, technology and projects to deliver new nuclear, but without the skilled people to deliver them safely, nuclear ambition remains exactly that: ambition.”
What should nuclear businesses should be doing now to prepare for the next generation of nuclear projects?
Tom: “Investing ahead of demand. We cannot wait for projects to arrive before building capability. We need the engineering, programme delivery and specialist nuclear skills in place now, and we need to develop capability that can move across new build, SMRs, fusion and defence.”
Alex: “Nuclear businesses should focus on retaining experienced personnel while investing in knowledge transfer. We need to make sure the experience we’re building today isn’t lost when projects come to an end. Bringing through the next generation is vital, but so is transferring the knowledge and lessons of experienced people into the projects that follow.”
Paula: “Businesses need to stop treating workforce planning as something that starts when a contract is awarded. However, we can only develop the workforce if the supply chain has sufficient confidence that the work is coming. Government, clients and the wider nuclear industry need to create greater visibility and continuity across the programme so the supply chain can make informed investment decisions.”
Fast-forward 20 years. What would success for UK nuclear look like to you?
Tom: “Success would be a UK that has turned its nuclear ambition into an enduring national capability, restoring Great Britain as a leading global nuclear nation by rebuilding the full nuclear ecosystem: civil nuclear power, advanced reactor technology, fuel cycle capability, nuclear skills, defence, research and exports.”
Paula: “Success for me wouldn’t just be measured in gigawatts generated or projects completed; I want someone growing up near one of our projects today to be able to see a route from school or college into a high-quality career, develop their skills throughout their working life and ultimately help deliver the next generation of projects themselves.”
Gayle: “Success would mean we’ve built a sustainable national Health Physics capability that anticipates demand rather than reacts to it, enabling nuclear delivery with no disruption. I’d also like the workforce to be much more representative of society, with more women progressing through operational and technical careers into senior leadership.”
There’s no single answer to delivering new nuclear. It will take political commitment, investment, repeatability and, above all, people. And echoing the words of Paula Quinn, success shouldn’t just be measured by in gigawatts or what we build, but by what those projects leave behind: well paid, rewarding careers, cheaper and more sustainable electricity and a UK with the capability to keep delivering nuclear energy for generations to come.
