This article is a contribution to the NNWI Conference 2026: Powering Industrial Decarbonisation.
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The current energy crisis highlights the urgent need for increased deployment of homegrown clean energy technologies, nuclear in particular. Prospect advocates for a mixed economy of GW-scale and advanced nuclear technologies and believes that the UK should be positively embracing SMRs and AMRs as a route to industrial decarbonisation. We have a rich nuclear history (as well as a rich industrial history) and, after painstakingly rebuilding our nuclear skills base through the Hinkley Point C project, we are well placed to embark on this challenge.
Expectations are high. But it is not enough to talk positively about these developments. To capitalise on this opportunity requires a serious industrial strategy. Building conventional nuclear projects which are designed just to provide power to the grid are hard enough; there are added layers of complexity when next generation technologies and industrial off-takers are involved.
Industrial decarbonisation through SMR deployment is, amongst other things, a massive coordination challenge, requiring input from industry, SMR developers, government, regulators, local communities, supply chain companies and the workforce. It won’t happen without a clear strategy, without strong incentives and support mechanisms, and without the necessary investment in supply chains and skills.
We should be under no illusions just how important supply chains and skills are for effective delivery. The lack of proactive investment in these things is exactly why Hinkley Point C is taking so long to deliver—we have had to build the plane as we are flying it. We must not make the same mistake again. If we are to facilitate industrial SMR deployment at any kind of pace or scale, we must start making those investments now, so the skilled workers and domestic supply chains are there when we need them.
There is a massive prize to be won if we get this right. Good industrial jobs, good nuclear jobs, good supply chain jobs. The quicker we can invest and demonstrate commercial viability, the greater the potential export opportunities. The government has put in place some useful building blocks which will help with that, with its Advanced Nuclear Framework to accelerate project development, with GBE-Nuclear setup to drive delivery, with the National Wealth Fund established to support with financing. The next step is to provide some certainty, with decarbonisation through next-gen nuclear made a key priority as part of the government’s industrial strategy. The stronger the commitment, the more confident workers and businesses can be in committing their futures to this part of the sector, the quicker we will be able to build the enabling infrastructure for a significant industrial deployment of SMRs and other advanced nuclear technologies.
