Civil nuclear sector meaning

In this issue: Air emissions and climate change Energy efficiency and buildings Energy for environmental lawyers Environmental enforcement and prosecutions Environmental information ESG and sustainability Nature, biodiversity and habitat conservation Sources of environmental law (UK, EU, international) Waste Waste producer responsibility regimes Water, flooding and drainage Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Air emissions and climate change DESNZ publishes final UK greenhouse gas emissions statistics for 1990–2023 The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has released the final estimates of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions for 1990–2023. In 2023, total emissions were 385 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, 5% lower than 2022 and 53% below 1990. The electricity supply sector showed the sharpest fall (20%) between 2022 and 2023, linked to higher electricity imports and reduced demand, which cut gas use in power stations. The buildings and product uses sector also declined by 6%, largely...

Key developments and materials In this issue: Electricity and gas market regulation and licensing Networks and network connections Renewable energy Capacity Market, balancing services and energy system flexibility Hydrogen, CCUS and emerging technologies Nuclear energy International energy Dates for your diary Energy resources on Lexis+® Daily and weekly news alerts News Analysis: Key energy law developments—end of year review 2025 and horizon scanning in 2026 After another eventful period, the LexisNexis® Energy team reflects on standout energy law shifts across 2025 and horizon‑scans to flag what to monitor through 2026. The round‑up spans overarching energy policy, grid connections reform, low‑carbon hydrogen, CCUS, greenhouse gas removals, REMA, long‑duration electricity storage (LDES), the CfD regime, the Capacity Market, Great British Energy, nuclear energy, oil and gas, and planning trends across the energy sector. For full coverage, see News Analysis: Key energy law developments—end of year review 2025 and horizon scanning in 2026...

In this issue: Air emissions and climate change Energy efficiency and buildings Energy for environmental lawyers Environmental information ESG and sustainability Marine Nature, biodiversity and habitat conservation Waste Waste producer responsibility regimes Water, flooding and drainage Daily and weekly news alerts Air emissions and climate change HMRC opens consultation on draft CBAM secondary legislation HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has launched a technical consultation on draft secondary rules for the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), starting on 1 January 2027. Published on 10 February 2026 and open until 24 March 2026, four draft regulations cover administrative matters, rate-setting methodologies, carbon price relief decisions, and transitional arrangements. The proposals set out obligations for registration, filing returns, reimbursement processes, determining the weight of CBAM goods, and maintaining records. CBAM will levy a carbon charge on designated imports to the UK from sectors vulnerable to carbon leakage, such as aluminium, cement, fertilisers, hydrogen, and iron...

Scope of this Practice Note This Practice Note sets out the main types of radioactive waste and examines disposal against the EU-defined waste hierarchy. It places contemporary management of radioactive waste within the historical development of the nuclear industry from a planning standpoint. Principal policy documents are reviewed to chart the evolution of government thinking over time. Geological disposal of Higher Activity Waste (HAW) under the Planning Act 2008 (PA 2008) is compared with alternative disposal routes under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA 1990) and the Planning (Wales) Act 2015. Consultation duties, application processes and required consents are identified for both regimes. Notable planning appeals and judicial review cases are highlighted before looking at international approaches to radioactive waste. What is radioactive waste? In the UK, radioactive waste arises—and will arise—from past, current and future programmes for electricity generation from nuclear fission, the reprocessing of nuclear fuel, the development of nuclear weapons, the nuclear submarine fleet and wastes from radioactive materials used for civil...

The National Security and Investment Act 2021 (NSI Act) The National Security and Investment Act 2021 (NSI Act) took full effect on 4 January 2022. It empowers the UK government to scrutinise and intervene in a broad range of acquisitions involving certain business entities and assets, described as ‘qualifying entities’ and ‘qualifying assets’, across 17 defined sensitive areas, with the overarching aim of preventing deals that could threaten the UK’s national security. Acquisitions of qualifying entities carry mandatory notification obligations and must be cleared by the government before completion. In addition, the government may ‘call in’ any transaction concerning a qualifying entity or qualifying asset for an in-depth assessment where a national security concern is identified, irrespective of whether a mandatory filing applies. Following review, the government can impose conditions on a deal, or unwind or block it altogether. Breaches of the rules may result in civil penalties up to the higher of 5% of the business’s global turnover or £10m, as well as potential criminal sanctions. The NSI...

A clear grasp of the spectrum of risks confronting nuclear projects is essential not just for the project company (and its investors) but also for other principal stakeholders in the civil nuclear sector, such as lenders and government. This Practice Note summarises, at a high level, the following themes relating to nuclear projects and their risk profile: development phase risks operational phase risks specific concerns for lenders the role played by government, and practical guidance for negotiating risk allocation between stakeholders For additional hands-on guidance on financing energy, power and resources projects across various sectors, including those addressed in this Practice Note, see the textbook: Energy and Resources Financing: A Practical Handbook. What are the key development phase risks in nuclear energy projects? Nuclear projects encounter several risks during development, such as: High up-front costs Nuclear ventures involve exceptionally high up-front capital expenditure (CAPEX). The magnitude of the funding need frequently means investors are reluctant...