We must ensure Scotland doesn't miss this moment

The Herald Scotland

6 hours ago

The Small Modular Reactor (SMR) concept is elegantly simple: take proven reactor designs, standardise components, and fabricate them on a smaller scale in factories before assembling them on-site. This innovative method eliminates the complexity and immense cost of previous nuclear plants, dramatically reducing commercial risks.
Though still emerging, the leap from prototype to commercial viability are considerably reduced for Rolls Royce, the UK firm chosen by the government to build a demonstration SMR. With a heritage dating back to the 1950s at Dounreay and the launch of their first naval reactor in 1966, Rolls Royce is uniquely placed to position Britain as a global leader in SMR technology.
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But why do we need nuclear and particularly SMRs?
Holyrood often insists nuclear power might suit England but is unnecessary in Scotland, given our exceptional renewable resources. Yet this argument conveniently overlooks our current reliance on Torness and the undeniable truth: renewables alone can't consistently provide baseload power. The wind doesn't always blow; the sun doesn't always shine. Scotland needs reliable, round-the-clock energy sources.
Joani Reid (Image: PA)
The Scottish Government promotes floating tidal power as their preferred alternative, despite it being unproven and vastly more expensive than established solutions. Without major technological leaps, floating generation—tidal or solar—remains economically unrealistic, likely never drawing the necessary investment.
Traditional nuclear has long been vital, but SMRs offer something revolutionary.
Consider hyperscale computing. Future data centres could demand around 400 megawatts—the equivalent of Glasgow's entire electricity needs and nearly matching Rolls Royce's 440 MW SMR target. These colossal data hubs powering AI, streaming services, and cloud computing require extraordinary reliability—so-called "seven nines" availability, with downtime restricted to just three seconds a year.
Recent blackouts, such as Spain's near day-long outage, highlight that reliance solely on public grids is precarious. Currently, companies rely on costly, polluting diesel generators for backup. SMRs elegantly sidestep this problem, providing continuous clean electricity with built-in redundancy. Surplus power can even create green hydrogen or feed back into the national grid.
Beyond computing, SMRs could transform district heating and cut transmission costs in remote areas through localised power generation.
Yet, under the SNP's entrenched anti-nuclear stance, Scotland risks forfeiting these advantages, wasting its natural benefits like available development land.
Missing this opportunity would be a profound error and demonstrates why a change at Holyrood is essential. Anas Sarwar has unequivocally stated nuclear energy will form part of Scotland's clean energy future under his leadership.
Even if a ban persists, Scotland can still prosper through its existing clusters of engineering and technical expertise in areas such as Greater Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Faslane, and Dounreay, supporting the nuclear supply chain even if direct nuclear projects remain blocked by the SNP.
As someone without commercial interests in nuclear power, it's essential to acknowledge potential challenges. Safety is always paramount, but modern nuclear designs, including SMRs, no longer produce weapons-grade material, leading to better fuel efficiency and reduced waste.
Secondly, innovative designs must demonstrate commercial scalability. Previous UK nuclear innovations often failed commercially, proving costly in maintenance. We cannot afford a repeat. However, Rolls Royce's SMRs, based on proven global PWR designs, significantly reduce risks while offering enormous opportunities to spearhead global industrial innovation.
Scotland stands on the brink of something transformative. High-quality jobs and a cleaner, sustainable future are within our grasp. We must ensure we don't miss the moment.
Joani Reid is the Labour MP for East Kilbride and Strathaven