LABOUR are planning a big expansion of nuclear power in the UK … and in Scotland. Of course, as with much else in the party’s intentions, this is being sneaked in under the political radar.
However, a close reading of the manifestos of both UK Labour and its Scottish branch office clearly gives the game away. And prominent candidates – such as Douglas Alexander in Lothian East – are being very vocal in support of nuclear energy when speaking at election hustings.
Why is this worrying? Because apart from the undemocratic secrecy involved, Labour’s nuclear fixation is expensive for the taxpayer and the electricity consumer. And because this strategy compromises the safety of everyone living in Scotland.
Reason: Labour is dicing with new, unproven nuclear generating technology – called small modular reactors, or SMRs. Scotland could be the guinea pig for SMRs at the existing nuclear plant at Torness in East Lothian. Which is why Scottish Labour have to come clean on its plans for new nukes.
UK Labour’s General Election manifesto has this to say about Keir Starmer’s proposals: “Labour will end a decade of dithering that has seen the Conservatives duck decisions on nuclear power.
“We will ensure the long-term security of the sector, extending the lifetime of existing plants and we will get Hinkley Point C over the line. New nuclear power stations, such as Sizewell C, and small modular reactors, will play an important role in helping the UK achieve energy security and clean power while securing thousands of good, skilled jobs.”
That’s clear: Labour will keep and expand nuclear electricity generation. As well as new plants, the life of existing ones will be extended. Currently, the station at Torness – which is owned by EDF, the French state-owned generator – is scheduled to close in March 2028.
But earlier this year, EDF announced it was reviewing the closure plan. The company wants to squeeze as much profit from its investment and is hoping an incoming Labour government will give it the regulatory go-ahead to extend the life of the two reactors on site, which have been operating since 1989. Labour’s manifesto suggests this is a racing certainty.
But EDF has long harboured plans to build a new Torness B plant at the same location. Indeed, Labour’s local MSP for Torness, Martin Whitfield, has been calling for the SNP government to “drop its dogmatic opposition to nuclear” and let Torness B go ahead.
Against this political background, the careful wording of the manifesto from Scottish Labour gives the game away: “Labour will end a decade of dithering that has seen the Conservatives duck decisions on nuclear power, while the SNP opposes its development in Scotland completely.
“Nuclear power currently provides up to 23% of the electricity consumed in Scotland and will need to remain part of our energy mix if we are to achieve energy security and clean power in Scotland … Scottish Labour believes Scotland should not miss out on the economic opportunity nuclear energy offers.”
Advanced planning has already begun under the current Tory regime. Only last month, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack told a House of Lords committee that the UK Government was planning to build a new nuclear reactor in Scotland.
READ MORE: 'Menacing' Alister Jack kept Scottish nuclear plans a secret, John Swinney says
He revealed that he had already asked Tory Energy Minister Justin Tomlinson to start planning for this. Crucially, Jack told the peers that he had specified the possibility for locating an SMR in Scotland.
The existing Torness plant is the only logical place to put a new SMR atomic power station complex in Scotland. Torness has the management and facilities. Above all, it is located astride the transmission lines to England, which are being upgraded and modernised to carry power from the giant offshore wind farms that make landfall on the coast of East Lothian just adjacent to Torness itself.
All you have to do is station SMRs at Torness and plug into the grid. It is obvious that the incoming Labour government will inherit the advanced Tory work on putting SMRs into Torness. To quote the Scottish Labour manifesto again: “Small modular reactors will play an important role in helping the UK achieve clean power while securing thousands of good, skilled jobs. Scottish Labour believes Scotland should not miss out.”
A logical plan would be for a Labour secretary of state for Scotland to give EDF the go-ahead to extend the life of the existing (but ageing) gas-cooled reactors at Torness while pushing ahead to put a bunch of SMRs beside them.
So what could possibly go wrong? Firstly, it would be nice if Douglas Alexander – clearly a shoo-in for a big Cabinet post in any Starmer administration – was more honest with the electorate about these plans.
Secondly, SMR technology remains unproven to say the least. The idea is to package a small nuclear reactor in a big box. But there is as yet no agreed way to do this. In fact, there are lots of competing technologies. Cue a Labour government spending a fortune of our money pursuing this Will O’ the Wisp for decades.
The original idea was to place SMRs in localities to provide district power. But imagine the safety and security implications of spreading half a dozen mini nuclear stations across Glasgow or Edinburgh.
The problems inherent with operating one big plant are difficult enough. In 2020, the official Office for Nuclear Regulation worried that cracks at Torness could lead to a radiation leak if not dealt with. This prompted EDF to bring forward the plant’s closure date by two years.
Now suppose there were 20 or 30 new SMRs spread across Scotland and the UK. The probability of something going wrong goes exponential. So expect a bunch of SMRs to be shoehorned into Torness. Even then, you would still get a multiplication in the potential for operating problems – except they’d all be in East Lothian.
There’s also another local problem in East Lothian. The upgrading of the transmission system has prompted a rash of planning applications in the county to build new battery storage and solar farms, potentially covering thousands of acres of prime farmland.
The existing construction work is already causing significant road congestion and loss of amenity. Add an SMR farm and this congestion will reach gridlock. And it’s not as if East Lothian is getting many jobs as a result – or cheap electricity.
Labour’s election energy plans are largely bogus. Their proposed GB Energy company is just a big investment vehicle that will give cheap loans (subsidised by the taxpayer) to foreign power monopolies. Any jobs in GB Energy will go to City of London investment managers not Scottish engineers.
What Scotland needs is a state-owned power company like EDF, and more investment in local construction and production of genuine green energy rather than Labour’s hidden plans for more nuclear power in Scotland.
We need a genuine, open public debate about the merits and demerits of nuclear energy. Sadly, Douglas Alexander is staying schtum.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel