‘Real urgency' for increased regulatory certainty: UK chief nuclear inspector

There is a "real urgency for regulators to deliver increased certainty and to reshape how we operate," Mike Finnerty, the chief nuclear inspector at the UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation, said in an interview.

ONR needs to modernize both technically and culturally and become more agile, given an increased amount of planned nuclear construction in the UK, comprising large units and small modular reactors, Finnerty said on the sidelines of the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Conference in Brussels last week.

ONR's plans to streamline nuclear regulation come in the context of a report issued in November by the UK Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce, established by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and headed by former civil servant John Fingleton. The government said in March that it will implement in full by the end of 2027 the recommendations of the report, which called for a "radical reset" of the UK's "overly complex nuclear regulatory system."

The report added that the existing system had "contributed to the relative decline of the UK's ability to deliver faster and cheaper nuclear projects" and, in one of the recommendations within the report, said that ONR should play a role as "lead regulator" in the UK's nuclear regulatory system.

Finnerty said June 16 that ONR had "started addressing the recommendations in the report, for example by refreshing much of its guidance" for nuclear inspectors.

"We are working with government on a wider reset of regulation in the UK," he added.

Finnerty noted a recommendation from the Fingleton report calling for the consolidation of most nuclear safety regulatory functions within a single organization, by merging the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator into ONR to streamline the regulation of defense nuclear sites.

"We recognize the potential benefits of this merger, minimising any burden on defense dutyholders [licensees] without compromising our safety standards," Finnerty said.

'Fragmented, duplicative oversight'

Finnerty cited another recommendation of the report, that ONR become a formal lead regulator to "eliminate fragmented, duplicative oversight." Finnerty said that this recommendation is also being implemented but emphasized that "this is a collaborative working group, all contributing to a common cause, [which] means that we are now working closer than ever with other regulatory bodies."

The Environment Agency in England and Natural Resources Wales, if a nuclear unit is in that country, as well as the Planning Inspectorate, all contribute to the regulatory process, Finnerty said.

"In terms of other regulators, we need to integrate more to achieve greater efficient and effective regulation, to ensure there is no duplication of work," Finnerty said. "This is one of the foundation principles and real benefits of the lead regulator model."

As an example of how regulators can work effectively together, Finnerty cited the UK's generic design assessment process for new reactors, which is now "nearly 20 years old and has been refined and improved during that time to maximise the benefits to prospective new build organisations."

"The Fingleton review was very clear on areas like the intent to refresh guidance [for nuclear regulation]," Finnerty said. "In other areas, the recommendations are less definitive but call for a change of mindset within the industry. The safety case reset (Recommendation 5), removing unnecessary complexity and duplication to deliver more proportionate and risk-informed regulation, is an example of that and will require a mindset shift by regulators and industry."

Five-year strategy

A five-year strategy for ONR, which had been due to be published last year covering the period 2025-2030, has been purposely delayed for around a year, to take account of the recommendations of the Fingleton report, Finnerty said.

He noted that one of the key themes of the strategy, which will be approved by government later this year, was for ONR to modernize and become more "agile."

"We have a hugely growing portfolio of new build in the UK to regulate, as well as an increasing decommissioning landscape, and so we need to be agile to respond swiftly to demands as they arise," Finnegan said.

"We are ready to regulate new technologies, support innovation, and help the sector deliver at pace while maintaining public trust and strong standards of nuclear safety and security."