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FEATURE Sizewell C


n By Keith Hatch


GOING NUCLEAR


It all seems to be happening at Sizewell thanks to Unite and well done to all those reps and officers involved in the talks to ensure jobs and the best pay and conditions for construction workers. But in case you’re wondering what we’re talking about and didn’t like to ask, please see below…


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What exactly are SMRs? • Small modular reactors (SMRs, sometimes nicknamed ‘mini nukes’) • They work in the same way as their larger cousins at Hinkley and Sizewell • They use a nuclear reaction to generate electricity by heating water and producing steam • This is used to rotate a turbine • The electricity is then sent to the grid


So now you know. Also… SMRs are much smaller than traditional reactors, producing about a third of the energy. The three announced by the government in June will power around 1m homes.


The smaller size allows them to be built in kit form in factories and then transported to the site to be assembled. This has led to the term ‘flat-packed power stations’.


Many different designs for the ‘mini nukes’ are being investigated. Currently only China and Russia have SMRs built and running.


Although in the US, companies like Google, Amazon and Microsoft have signed deals to use SMRs to produce the huge amount of power needed for AI data centres.


The International Energy Agency has projected the global SMR market is to reach up to nearly £500bn by 2050, and the government hopes that the recent funding announcement will put Britain at a competitive advantage in the global race to build new nuclear technology.


14 unite buildingWORKER Autumn 2025


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