The Government plans to achieve 24GW of nuclear power by 2050 (Image: GETTY)
The Government's "ambitious" plans to ramp up nuclear capacity have been labelled as a mere "wish list" by MPs.
Members of the Science, Innovation, and Technology Committee raised concerns about the lack of a concrete plan for achieving the target of 24 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear-generated electricity by 2050 as part of its race to net zero.
The committee's new 118-page report, released Monday, supports the Government's decision to look into nuclear power to meet Britain's electricity needs. But it warns the Government's security plan, published in March, offers little clue about how measures will be implemented.
The report said the role of Great British Nuclear remains ambiguous in the plans.
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Sizewell nuclear power station Suffolk (Image: Getty)
Chair of the committee, Greg Clark, said: "The Government is right to identify nuclear power as an important contributor to meeting our future electricity needs. It has stretching ambitions to achieve 24GW of nuclear power by 2050.
"This would be almost double the highest level of nuclear generation that the UK has ever attained.
"The only way to achieve this is to translate these very high-level aspirations into a comprehensive, concrete and detailed nuclear strategic plan which is developed jointly with the nuclear industry, which enjoys long-term cross-party political commitment and which therefore offers dependability for private and public investment decisions."
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The report also states concerns about Great British Nuclear (GBN), an arm's-length body involved in the Government-backed competition for developing smaller-scale nuclear technology projects.
MPs argue that there is still ambiguity surrounding GBN's exact purpose beyond its involvement in the small modular reactor (SMR) competition.
MPs said: "We recommend that the Government should set out a more comprehensive statement of GBN's remit, operational model and budget, and its intended role with respect to ministers and Government departments."
It comes as Energy Secretary Grant Shapps hailed a "renaissance" in nuclear energy in the UK, with GBN playing a key role.
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MPs also called for Government to provide "robust estimates" about the "value for money" of the project, including the value of the construction risk being assumed by taxpayers and billpayers.
Campaigners against a giant nuclear power plant project in Suffolk welcomed the committee's call for clarity.
A spokesperson for the Stop Sizewell C campaign said: "We're appalled that the committee has ignored legitimate concerns about whether nuclear can deliver reliable, affordable electricity."
The group said it supported "the committee calling for the Government to publish Sizewell C's cost and value for money, as doing so will expose just how unjustifiable this slow, risky, expensive project is".
A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: "We have already made clear we will publish a nuclear roadmap and consult on alternative routes to market by the end of the year.
"Nuclear has a vital role to play in reaching net zero and boosting energy security - just last week we launched Great British Nuclear which will help generate billions for the UK economy and support thousands of jobs."
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MPs also called for Government to provide "robust estimates" about the "value for money" of the project, including the value of the construction risk being assumed by taxpayers and billpayers.
Campaigners against a giant nuclear power plant project in Suffolk welcomed the committee's call for clarity.
A spokesperson for the Stop Sizewell C campaign said: "We're appalled that the committee has ignored legitimate concerns about whether nuclear can deliver reliable, affordable electricity."
The group said it supported "the committee calling for the Government to publish Sizewell C's cost and value for money, as doing so will expose just how unjustifiable this slow, risky, expensive project is".
A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: "We have already made clear we will publish a nuclear roadmap and consult on alternative routes to market by the end of the year.
"Nuclear has a vital role to play in reaching net zero and boosting energy security - just last week we launched Great British Nuclear which will help generate billions for the UK economy and support thousands of jobs."
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