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Small Modular Reactors

Asked by Pippa HeylingsLiberal DemocratDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled Answered 5 November 2025UIN 85979

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of small modular reactors being made as load following energy sources.

Answered by Michael Shanks

The next generation of nuclear, including small modular reactors (SMR), offers new possibilities including faster deployment, lower capital costs, and greater flexibility.

Whilst nuclear energy has a unique role to play in delivering stable, low carbon baseload energy, SMRs may be able to serve the electricity grid more flexibly than traditional nuclear, as well as unlock a range of additional applications in energy sectors beyond grid electricity.

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