Ed Miliband is under pressure to accelerate the roll out of mini-nukes in the UK after the Government whittled down a shortlist of firms in contention to press ahead with the project.
The Energy Secretary was urged to move faster to approve small modular reactors (SMRs), which are cheaper and faster to build than full-sized nuclear power stations, amid fears Britain is being left behind.
The calls come after Rolls-Royce was named alongside three rivals for the next stage of the competition to develop mini-nukes in the UK.
American firm NuScale was knocked out of the running this week while French giant EDF has withdrawn.
Energy security: Energy Secretary Ed Miliband (pictured) has been urged to move faster to approve small modular nuclear reactors
Companies were initially told the shortlist would be reduced to four by late August, but the election delayed this.
The hold-up has fuelled fears Britain is dragging its heels. Rolls-Royce last week was chosen by the Czech Republic as a preferred supplier of SMRs to state-owned power group CEZ.
The Mail on Sunday then revealed Rolls was also in talks with Sweden and the Netherlands.
Shadow energy minister Claire Coutinho said: ‘It’s clear that Labour are not putting the same emphasis on nuclear energy as the Conservatives.
‘You can’t build an energy policy based on wind and solar alone as Ed Miliband seems to want to do, so he must move faster to make sure other countries don’t steal a march on Britain when it comes to the next generation of nuclear.’
Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said: ‘Other countries are getting on with choosing their technologies and we need to be moving at pace too, and that includes selecting the sites and the number of units so we can provide certainty to the supply chain and to host communities.
‘We look forward to seeing swift progress being made over the next few months on SMRs as well as large-scale projects.’
Rolls-Royce communications spokesman Dan Gould last week urged Labour to move faster. ‘We’d like to see the Government make a decision by the end of the year,’ he said.
The company has been shortlisted by Vattenfall, the Swedish multinational power company, to meet rising demand for electricity.
In the Netherlands, Rolls-Royce has signed an exclusive agreement with Dutch development firm ULC-Energy to work together to deploy SMRs.
Rolls is awaiting government approval from both countries.
US-Japanese alliance GE-Hitachi and American firms Westinghouse and Holtec are still in the running in the UK’s design competition, which was first announced in 2015 by then chancellor George Osborne.
It was not until 2023 that Government agency Great British Nuclear launched the official design competition.
Six contenders were announced in October 2023, with bids submitted in July. It is hoped a winner will be selected later this year or early 2025.
A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesman said: ‘We are reversing a legacy of no new nuclear power being delivered, ensuring the long-term security of the nuclear sector.
‘SMRs will play an important role in helping the UK achieve energy security and clean power while securing thousands of good, skilled jobs.
‘Four companies, confirmed by Great British Nuclear, will move to the next stage of the small modular reactor competition and will be invited to enter negotiations.’
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