Nuclear policy in the UK is moving quickly, with the Westminster government positioning nuclear energy as a strategic pillar of clean power, energy security, and industrial capability. The civil nuclear roadmap sets an ambition to achieve up to 24 GW of nuclear capacity by 2050, and recent decisions have advanced both large-scale and modular pathways, including a Final Investment Decision for Sizewell C and the selection of Rolls-Royce SMR as the preferred bidder for the UK’s SMR (small modular reactor) programme.

In parallel, Scotland’s nuclear context is distinctive. The Scottish Government remains opposed to new nuclear power stations using current technologies, even as existing generation continues (Torness is scheduled to generate until March 2030). Decommissioning is also an increasingly visible economic and regulatory reality, with sites such as Hunterston B scheduled to enter formal decommissioning as part of the AGR (advanced gas-cooled reactor) fleet’s transition to long-term remediation.

This half-day event in will provide an informed forum to explore where nuclear fits within a renewables‑heavy system: what is being built (and why), what the barriers are (finance, delivery risk, consenting, and supply chain), and how Scotland and the wider UK can navigate issues from skills to long-term waste management. The format will combine two expert presentations with two panels and conclude with networking and lunch to support candid cross-sector discussion.