The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) welcomed around 70 delegates from organisations across the nuclear lifecycle to our Licensing Industry Day to improve understanding of the UK licensing framework and supporting the development of "right first time" licence applications.
The event was prompted by recent important updates to our Licensing Nuclear Installations Guidance – the first time it has been updated for five years.
The event in Liverpool provided a comprehensive overview of current licensing processes and regulatory expectations, while creating opportunities for direct dialogue between industry and regulators.
Delegates heard from ONR and Environment Agency speakers as well as from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), who set out the government's vision and ambitions for nuclear growth and progress.
ONR and the environment agencies opened the event with a joint opening address and joint presentations on early engagement and Generic Design Assessment, demonstrating their close collaborative working.
Throughout the day sessions covered the fundamentals of nuclear licensing, including the legal basis for licensing, interfaces with environmental permitting and planning processes, and the importance of engaging with regulators at an early stage of project development.
Speakers highlighted how structured early engagement can help applicants better understand regulatory expectations and reduce uncertainty during formal licence assessment.
Early engagement helps applicants assess their risk and is a genuine opportunity to identify and resolve issues before they become costly problems later in the process.
Sessions also covered government initiatives shaping the future of licensing, including the Advanced Nuclear Pipeline, the Nuclear Regulatory Review recommendations, and the Atlantic Partnership.
Angela Lidiard, ONR Head of Licensing, said: "The event allowed us to speak directly with representatives from a range of organisations across the sector.
“Early engagement with us and other regulators is crucial, so this was a valuable opportunity to share that message and to outline our regulatory expectations to organisations seeking to apply for a nuclear site licence, or to relicense or delicense an existing site.
"I’d like to thank all those who attended the event for engaging with us in such a positive and productive way, and for their valuable feedback."
The Licensing Industry Day forms part of our broader efforts to support safe, secure and sustainable nuclear development in the UK. By bringing together regulators, government and industry in an open forum, the event helped to reinforce a shared commitment to improving regulatory effectiveness, reducing unnecessary uncertainty and enabling the successful deployment of future nuclear technologies.
To find out more about licensing, please visit our site licensing pages.
Any questions on site licensing? Please get in touch by emailing: contact@onr.gov.uk