Call for rethink of block on nuclear plants in Scotland

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Electric Power · 01 April, 2022

Call for rethink of block on nuclear plants in Scotland

The Scottish government has been urged to rethink its opposition to nuclear power in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Commodity

Electric Power

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Administrator


Torness is now Scotland's only operational nuclear power station / by. GETTY IMAGES

The Scottish government has been urged to rethink its opposition to nuclear power in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

UK ministers are targeting a "nuclear renaissance" as part of efforts to cut reliance on oil and gas from overseas.

Nicola Sturgeon says this could take decades to bear fruit, arguing instead for more use of renewable sources.

But UK energy minister Greg Hands said the war in Ukraine underlined the need for greater energy security.

He told BBC Scotland that there would "never be a better time to bring more nuclear power to Scotland".

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Downing Street said Mr Johnson was clear that nuclear power was "absolutely crucial to boosting UK energy security and independence as we move away from Russian hydrocarbons and foreign fossil fuels".

However the Scottish government is opposed to any construction of new nuclear facilities, saying they would be expensive to build and take years to come online.

Key planning powers are held at Holyrood which allow Scottish ministers to block any development of new sites.

The Hunterston B plant in North Ayrshire was shut down in January, while the station at Torness in East Lothian is due to close in 2028, two years earlier than originally planned.










Hunterston B produced electricity for 46 years / by. PA MEDIA




Mr Hands said it was a "great pity" that Scottish ministers were "ideologically opposed" to nuclear power, saying he would like to see new technology being deployed north of the border.

He highlighted new smaller reactors being developed by Rolls Royce, which could be cheaper to build than conventional plants while still powering approximately one million homes each.

He said: "I'm still hoping the Scottish government will change its mind on nuclear. Obviously they will have seen what is happening with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the need for better energy security.

"What do you do for your energy baseload when the wind isn't blowing and the sun isn't shining? That is currently provided by gas - we would like to see it in the future provided by nuclear. And to do that we need more nuclear power stations.

"There are already very good reasons to think again, because nuclear is going to be a big part of our energy future. But the Russian invasion of Ukraine should hopefully have given them a pretext to have a rethink."







by. BBC / 21 March 2022