Abstract

This article investigates the extent to which the United Kingdom's current legal and regulatory framework facilitates or hinders the deployment of Small Modular Reactors. It examines the relationship between the Nuclear Installations Act of 1965, the Planning Act of 2008, and the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process using a doctrinal and comparative approach. It also looks at new organisations like Great British Nuclear (GBN) and the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce. The study additionally incorporates comparative analysis from the US and Canada, where early-stage vendor design evaluations and adaptable licensing arrangements have expedited regulatory readiness.

The results indicate that even though the UK safety framework remains appropriate, modular deployment may be constrained by its multi-layered approvals process and the absence of an integrated pre-licensing route. The analysis indicates that there are changes to the law that would be necessary, such as simplified consenting processes, more transparent operator liability for multi-module sites, and the facilitation of financing instruments under the Nuclear Energy (Financing) Act 2022 to more closely align SMR regulation with the UK's net-zero and energy-security objectives. This article's conclusion is that to convert government ambition into legally deliverable action, a clear statutory framework is required in the case of modular nuclear technologies.