Nuclear bosses have accused the SNP’s energy secretary of spreading “shocking” falsehoods about the industry as the Cop28 summit backed “accelerating” the energy source to reduce the world’s climate emissions.
The Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) criticised Neil Gray, a close ally of Humza Yousaf, after he told MSPs last week that nuclear power was not safe, not wanted and expensive.
Tom Greatrex, the trade body’s chief executive, said Mr Gray had made a series of “factually inaccurate” statements to justify the SNP’s opposition to building more nuclear plants in Scotland.
In a letter to the minister, Mr Greatrex said Mr Gray had insulted the 700 workers at the Torness nuclear station in East Torness, which he said “operates to the highest standards of safety” and was the “best power generating asset in Scotland”.
His intervention came as world leaders agreed their first global “stock take” at the Cop28 summit in the UAE, backing “accelerating zero and low-emission technologies, including…nuclear”.
‘Not wanted in Scotland’
Mr Greatrex said 24 nations at the summit, including Canada, Sweden, Finland, France and the Netherlands, had pledged to triple nuclear power capacity “to help meet the challenges of climate change and energy security”.
Although Mr Gray last week cited Germany as an example of a country that had shut its nuclear plants, Mr Greatrex noted that it “burns more coal than anybody else in Europe”.
Around 57 per cent of electricity used in Scotland was from renewables in 2021 with the rest generated by nuclear and gas plants. In 2020 only 6.4 per cent of non-electric heat demand was met by renewables.
The Hunterston B plant in North Ayrshire, one of Scotland’s two ageing nuclear power stations, was shut down in January last year. Torness is due to close in 2028, two years earlier than originally planned.
The UK Government’s energy strategy includes plans for eight new nuclear reactors at existing sites, capable of generating around a quarter of the UK’s electricity demand by 2050.
Although energy policy is reserved to Westminster, the SNP’s control over the planning system means it can block any new plants being built in Scotland.
Mr Gray told MSPs last week the SNP Government was “discounting” nuclear power because “it is not safe, it is expensive and it is not wanted in Scotland”.
“In addition, it is not needed in Scotland,” he added. “We have abundant natural energy resources and capital that can contribute and are contributing to our energy mix.”
He justified his comments on safety citing an alleged cyber hack on the Sellafield nuclear waste storage site by groups linked to Russia.
Insulted professionalism of workers
Mr Greatrex said: “It is shocking to see the Scottish energy minister spread falsehoods about nuclear power in Scotland. He has devalued the enormous contribution nuclear has made to the nation’s net zero goals, energy security and jobs and has insulted the professionalism of Scottish nuclear workers with false criticism about safety.
“Scotland has consistently generated the most nuclear power of any part of the UK, thus avoiding more carbon dioxide emissions than any other power source in Scottish history.”
Claire Greer, Scottish organiser in energy for the GMB trade union, said: “It is increasingly clear that Scotland and the rest of the UK will not come close to reaching emission targets without new nuclear.”
She added: “The continuing anti-nuclear rhetoric of ministers will only slow efforts to address climate change and delay the industrial strategies and supply chains needed for a green economic recovery.”
A government spokesman said: “We recognise that operators such as Torness work to stringent standards. However, the Scottish Government does not support the building of new nuclear fission power stations in Scotland under current technologies.
“New nuclear power is expensive; will take years, if not decades, to become operational, and has significant environmental concerns.”
