UK Plans to be Independent of Russian Energy and Increases the Use of Nuclear Power

SHANGHAI, Mar 22 (SMM) - According to sources quoted by Bloomberg News, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is considering increasing the use of nuclear power. According to Johnson, nuclear power will account for 25% of the British power structure by 2050. His strategy aims to promote the development of renewable energy in the UK and help the UK economy get rid of its dependence on Russian fossil fuels.

Johnson met with the executives of the nuclear industry on Monday (March 21) local time to discuss how to promote the development of new projects. According to informed sources, after the meeting, the British government put forward this goal. However, the British government has not yet made a final decision, which may be announced as early as next week.

In the UK, nuclear power accounts for about 16% of the country’s power structure. Britain is advancing its energy security strategy, focusing on developing its own wind and solar energy, and listing nuclear energy as a backup energy source.

It is reported that the problem that hinders the development of the nuclear industry is the huge upfront cost of construction and nuclear reactors, which can be as high as $26 billion.

At present, the British government intends to build a large nuclear power plant first, which may be the Sizewell C nuclear power plant of Electricite de France SA in southeast England. The company is considering extending the service life of its Sizewell B nuclear power plant for another 20 years to 2055. The other three nuclear power plants will be closed in 2024.

In addition, Britain may restart its plan to build a second nuclear project in Wylfa, which was previously shelved due to a lack of funds.

With the rapid deterioration of relations between Russia and western countries, European countries are generally actively pursuing to get rid of the dependence on Russian energy, and many of them choose to increase the use of nuclear power. Besides Britain, Macron, President of France, announced last month that France will build at least six new nuclear reactors in the next few decades, and at the same time, it will accelerate the development of solar energy and offshore wind power generation.

In recent days, the Belgian government also indicated that the service life of the two nuclear reactors scheduled to be shut down in 2025 will be extended by 10 years to 2035. Countries such as the Netherlands, Poland and the Czech Republic have also begun to actively adjust their nuclear power policies.