Meeting of the Parliament 24 June 2026 [Draft]
For the member to stand up and say that baseload is an outdated concept is an extraordinary intervention. As I reminded him about three weeks ago, he does not seem to know what he is talking about when it comes to energy. He does not seem to realise that nuclear is operational 90 per cent of the time and is non-operational only when it is entirely planned.
I am grateful for the member’s intervention, because it allows me to put him straight yet again. He actually adds to the counterarguments that I will no doubt face from the Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Energy.
In previous debates, I have had thrown at me, “What about safety?” Well, the UK has operated civil nuclear power stations for more than half a century without a major nuclear accident affecting the public.
On economics, Alan Brown asked me the other week about Hinkley Point C. In the latest contracts for difference allocation round, fixed-bottom offshore wind was priced at £95 per megawatt hour; that is around £125 per megawatt hour when back-up is factored in. Floating offshore wind comes in at £230 per megawatt hour. The current strike price for Hinkley C—the Scottish National Party’s bête noire—is £131 per megawatt hour.
Finally, on waste, nuclear power is unique in that its waste is fully identified, regulated, contained and managed. Carbon emissions are never released into the environment, while the radioactive waste is safely stored and monitored. The volume of that waste is remarkably small. In fact, I would be exposed to more radiation on my next flight to Ibiza than I would—[Laughter.] What? I would be exposed to more radiation on that flight than I would were I standing on top of the Torness reactors.
The choice facing Scotland is not between renewables, nuclear, and oil and gas; it is whether or not we want to be able to meet the huge demand that is coming down the track with a mature, evidence-based approach to all three.
My view is that Scotland should continue to lead in wind and other renewable technologies, and give full support to oil and gas, but we should not exclude a proven source of reliable, low-carbon electricity. Nuclear power supports our climate ambitions, strengthens our energy security and provides the firm power that is needed for future economic growth. Let us follow that evidence and pursue informed, long-term, strategic planning choices that recognise the importance of oil and gas, acknowledge the need for new nuclear baseload and strive for a future alongside, and in partnership with, renewables.