Fission critical: the role of regulation and programme delivery in the nuclear golden age

Energy at a turning point  

The global energy landscape is undergoing profound change. Nations are accelerating towards low-carbon, affordable and secure power sources, and nuclear energy is central to this transition. In the UK, more than £15bn has been committed to new nuclear projects such as Sizewell C and Wylfa over the coming decades, signalling renewed confidence in the sector and its ability to deliver clean energy at scale.  

This ambition brings opportunity, but also complexity. Emerging technologies, evolving risks and the sheer scale of investment demand a fresh approach to governance, consenting and delivery.  

The scale of the challenge  

Delivering nuclear projects is never simple. Our Future of Major Programme Delivery report, published last year, explores how more than 90% of programmes around the world valued at $1bn and above experience cost and schedule overruns. Crucially, our research found that 11% are at risk of significant delay. The reasons are familiar: unclear governance, optimistic estimates, poorly defined scope, fragmented execution and misaligned objectives across organisations and supply chains.  

Sizewell C alone represents a £14.2bn investment, creating thousands of jobs and billions of pounds for the UK supply chain. Moreover, small modular reactors (SMRs) are moving from concept to delivery, with Wylfa chosen as the first UK site for Rolls-Royce £2.5bn SMR solution. Add to this backing for fusion and advanced technologies, and the scale of the challenge becomes clear. To succeed, the industry must rethink how programmes are governed, regulated and delivered to ensure we don’t experience the same pitfalls.   

Regulation that enables  

The recent Nuclear Regulatory Review makes one point clear, regulation must not only assure safety - it must enable delivery. Today, the UK has one of the most expensive nuclear build environments in the world. Projects face overlapping approvals, fragmented oversight and a culture of extreme risk aversion. This complexity adds years to schedules and billions to costs, without improving safety outcomes.   

The Taskforce’s recommendations call for a radical reset by simplifying structures, restoring proportionality and embedding cultural change. The proposed changes would create a system that prioritises outcomes over process, enabling innovation while maintaining rigorous safety standards. But structural reform alone is not enough. Success depends on how programmes are delivered.   

Collaboration as the catalyst  

The UK nuclear sector must embrace collaborative delivery models, alliancing, progressive design and build, and the delivery partner approach. By uniting clients, regulators, contractors and the supply chain under a single, empowered team, collaborative models can cut through complexity, align objectives and make best-for-programme decisions quickly.   

Across different sectors, the evidence that collaboration enables success is abundant. The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic venues programme is perhaps one of the best-known examples we’ve been involved with at Mace, although the principles from that iconic programme continue to influence modern examples. From the reconstruction programme in Peru to Go Expansion in Canada, lessons from these major programmes transcend individual industries and can be applied directly to our nuclear programmes. Integrated teams, empowered decision-making and lifecycle thinking are key to success. By aligning objectives and incentivising collaboration, the industry can overcome cultural and capability barriers that often slow progress.  

Fleet-based approach  

Developers increasingly favour a fleet-based approach with common designs and programmes across countries to maximise economies of scale and learning. This repeatability increases confidence to invest, continued development of technologies, upskilling of the workforce, and transfer of labour from one project to the next, as well as improving safety credentials through robust lessons learned and knowledge transfer programmes – an essential element for the nuclear industry. Nonetheless, ensuring this level of continuity and enabling a timely drumbeat of progression requires a mature and proven delivery partner that can not only coordinate, but optimise delivery, including across multiple projects at one time.  

Indeed, if we consider SMRs and their global marketability, it’s easy to see how the programme management principles and delivery models mentioned above translate to a portfolio arrangement across continents. Drawing on examples such as the UK’s New Prisons Programme, we’ve witnessed the value of embracing repeatability to deliver at scale and speed, and to expected standards and quality.  A guiding mind, offering one version of the truth can make all the difference.   

Driving efficiency and innovation  

Part of the challenge we face is that (for the reasons outlined at the start of this article) the average length for a UK energy infrastructure programme is over 12 years, often making it unrealistic to think about what comes next. As an industry we need to build confidence across the sector to improve productivity, expedite delivery and reduce this programme duration. Collaborative delivery models have proven themselves to be effective in providing the structure, expertise, best practice, upskilling, and coordination needed to reduce programme risk and unify team members around a shared vision.   

The inherent collaboration within this model facilitates proportionate risk decisions allowing teams to innovate and ensure safety. A key focus of the recent nuclear regulation review. These approaches are proven in other sectors and should now be scaled for nuclear. We now need to see streamlined regulation, collaborative delivery, innovation and a fleet-based approach to ensure projects are delivered on time and budget with safety embedded and improved through repetition.   

The UK can lead the world in nuclear capability, creating jobs and driving growth. Momentum is building. Policy signals are clearer. Investment is growing. The task now is delivery.