Nuclear Power: Emissions Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Northern Ireland Office
Tuesday 14th January 2020

(4 years, 2 months ago)

Lords Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Lord Duncan of Springbank Portrait Lord Duncan of Springbank
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

As part of my responsibilities as Climate Change Minister, we have engaged with a number of countries to examine what prospects we have to ensure the development of the small modular reactors, which we believe will be key to the development of a workable global strategy. We commit to continuing to do that at a greater pace.

Lord Lennie Portrait Lord Lennie (Lab)
- Hansard - -

How will the Government ensure that any new offshore wind capacity during the 2020s will not simply replace retiring nuclear plants rather than push carbon-emitting gas power plants off the grid?

Lord Duncan of Springbank Portrait Lord Duncan of Springbank
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

The noble Lord is quite right: each of our ambitions in these areas has a finite lifespan, and it is important to make sure that, each time we replace them with the next generation, the carbon footprint decreases. We would like to see it significantly decrease, which is why offshore wind remains vital and why nuclear has a significant part to play.