Fission meaning

What are the key proposals in the consultation? Novel nuclear technologies—small and advanced modular reactors EN-7 will be the first national planning policy crafted specifically to cater for, and govern, nuclear generation beyond conventional gigawatt-scale stations. In particular, EN-7 will extend to small modular reactors (SMRs) and advanced modular reactors (AMRs). SMRs are compact iterations of established light water reactor designs, whereas AMRs are distinguished by innovative fuels and alternative cooling methods. This represents a significant break from earlier policy and is meant to enable nuclear schemes to be delivered in settings and for uses where large fission plants are ill-suited... A new approach to locating nuclear generation The existing NPS for nuclear generation (EN-6) named eight sites regarded as potentially appropriate for gigawatt-scale nuclear developments, at which promoters could seek consent to build a station. Those sites were chosen following the government’s extensive strategic site assessment over three years prior to EN-6 being designated in 2011. EN-7 will signify a pronounced shift away from this...

In this issue: Planning issues in energy projects Flood risk and development Buildings and Building Regulations Major infrastructure projects Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Related Documents Planning issues in energy projects National nuclear energy policy statement EN-7 comes into force The government has now implemented the National Policy Statement (NPS) for nuclear power generation, EN-7. Taking effect on 18 December 2025, it establishes the principal policy basis for evaluating nationally significant nuclear fission proposals. EN-7 sits within the Planning Act 2008 regime for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) and will guide the secretary of state when determining development consent applications, read alongside the overarching energy policy statement, EN-1. This statement replaces EN-6, which applied to nuclear schemes anticipated to be deployable by the end of 2025. By removing that previous cut-off, EN-7 refreshes the framework to reflect advances in technology and shifts in energy policy. In addition to ongoing backing for large-scale...

In this issue Key developments and materials Air emissions and climate change Pollution and contamination Energy for environmental lawyers Environmental disputes and proceedings Environmental enforcement and prosecutions ESG and sustainability Hazardous substances and chemicals Marine Nature, biodiversity and habitat conservation Waste Producer responsibility schemes for waste Water, flood risk and drainage Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Key developments and materials UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy 2025—Built environment aspects The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has issued the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy 2025—a decade‑long blueprint to boost corporate investment across eight growth‑driving sectors, following consultation launched in October 2024. The Strategy is crafted to simplify and speed up investment procedures for businesses, whilst offering greater certainty and stability for long‑term decisions. Headline sector plans comprise the Clean Energy Industries and Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plans. The Clean Energy Industries Plan outlines an ambition to double investment...

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...

What is nuclear energy? Nuclear energy is the power released from the core of an atom (the ‘nucleus’). It can be produced in two ways: Fission — the split of a large atom into smaller atoms; Fusion — the joining of lighter atoms to create heavier atoms. Nuclear (fission) power plants split uranium atoms inside a reactor through fission. The heat generated produces steam, which turns a turbine to generate electricity. While fission is currently used commercially to produce energy, nuclear fusion is not yet commercially viable. See: What is the future of nuclear power generation in the UK? below. Various countries around the world are increasingly turning to nuclear energy to satisfy the rising need for clean energy and to strengthen their energy security. What is the nuclear fuel cycle? The set of industrial processes that results in electricity from nuclear reactions is known as the nuclear fuel cycle. It starts with the mining of uranium (or other ores...

This Practice Note centres on the planning regime for new nuclear build facilities. It outlines the policy foundations for consenting new nuclear plants, the routes for appeal and judicial review, and the effects of the UK’s departure from the EU on nuclear planning. For general information on nuclear licensing and regulation, see: Nuclear licensing and regulation—overview. Further consents, including licensing from the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), are covered in Practice Note: Operating under a nuclear site licence. Planning policy Energy National Policy Statements The government’s policy on major infrastructure is expressed through National Policy Statements (NPSs), which are statutory documents made under the Planning Act 2008 (PA 2008). NPSs guide the Secretary of State when determining development consent applications for energy infrastructure of national significance. Between late 2009 and early 2010, the government issued six draft NPSs for consultation. These included: an Overarching National Policy Statement for energy NPS (EN-1) (updated in 2025 and in force from 6 January 2026), and ...