“We need nuclear, we need wind, we need solar, we need batteries … we need hydrogen, we need carbon capture. And nuclear has a particular role to play in finding clean, stable and reliable power,” he said.
The ‘obvious’ sites
All three sites are owned by French firm EDF, a company in which the French state is the sole shareholder, handed over in a deal struck in 2023.
An EDF spokesperson declined to comment on any discussions but said: “EDF would welcome developments that enable ongoing employment opportunities at our sites, once existing stations close.
“Our sites have numerous benefits, including a skilled workforce, grid connections and supportive communities that are used to nuclear power and the economic benefits the existing stations bring.”
The U.K. has not built a new nuclear power plant since Sizewell B was opened in 1995. The much-delayed Hinkley Point C is at risk of not being completed until 2031, and the government is still weighing up a final investment decision for sister plant Sizewell C.
Meanwhile Great British Nuclear (GBN), the arms-length body set up under the last Conservative government, is overseeing the final stages of the late-running competition to build mini-nukes in the U.K., known as small modular reactors (SMRs).
