The Nuclear Test That Britain Can’t Afford to Fail

The UK is embarking on its most ambitious nuclear expansion in decades. It has committed billions of pounds to new projects, including a large-scale reactor in the southeast, a proposed small modular reactor led by Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc, and some of the world’s most advanced fusion research. After decades of drift, this marks a welcome shift. But it’s also a test — not just of energy policy but also of Britain’s ability to take on big projects of all kinds.

Nuclear is one of the few low-carbon technologies capable of delivering reliable, round-the-clock baseload power at scale. With all but one of the UK’s existing reactors set to retire, new capacity is urgently needed. Industrial electricity prices are roughly four times higher than in the US and 46% above the median for advanced economies, squeezing consumers and companies alike.