Exploring a market strategy for floating nuclear power deployment in the UK
CORE POWER
The UK’s push toward electrification and clean energy is accelerating demand, but supply risks are growing. With renewables uncertain and traditional nuclear too slow to scale, a potential gap is emerging. CORE POWER’s Floating Nuclear Power Plants (FNPPs) could offer a predictable, low‑carbon solution to help bridge the gap.
Built Confidence’s market research explored how this innovative concept could be integrated into the UK energy market.
The UK energy system is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Rapid electrification of transport, heat, and industry is driving significant growth in electricity demand, while decarbonisation targets require at least 95% clean electricity generation by 2030. At the same time, the generation mix is shifting heavily towards variable renewables, introducing new challenges around system resilience, predictability, and delivery feasibility.
Despite ambitious policy targets, there are increasing concerns that renewable deployment may fall short of required levels, increasing the risk of a structural gap between supply and demand. At the same time, conventional nuclear has struggled to scale due to delivery risk, long timelines, and commercial constraints, limiting its role in meeting near-term system needs.
CORE POWER is seeking to address this challenge through the deployment of Floating Nuclear Power Plants (FNPPs) — modular, shipyard-built nuclear energy systems capable of delivering firm, low-carbon, dispatchable electricity, replicated at programme scale and deployed close to major power demand. However, realising this opportunity requires a clear understanding of the evolving UK energy market, viable routes to market, and early consideration of delivery and risk to enable early deployment and long-term scale.
Our Approach
Built Confidence supported CORE POWER by translating a complex and evolving market landscape into a clear, actionable market strategy.
Market-Led Strategic Insight
A structured view of the UK electricity system was developed, combining policy analysis, system modelling, and industry insight to identify where FNPPs could create the greatest value, alongside identifying critical market drivers to ensure success.
Defining Routes to Market
A key focus of the engagement was the identification of viable commercial pathways for deployment, creating a strategy that enabled a balance between early deployment opportunities and long-term market scale, while maintaining certainty as policy and market conditions evolve.
Two primary routes to market were assessed: Grid Supply (wholesale market) and Private Wire (direct supply to customers).
Embedding Delivery Considerations and Risk Mitigation
Recognising that market opportunity alone is insufficient, key delivery considerations were integrated into the strategy from the outset, such as financing and investment modes, and regulatory and licensing pathways.
Critical success factors were also identified, including the importance of social value and public perception, and alignment with shifting government priorities towards national energy security, resilience, and industrial strategy.
Outcomes → From Market Complexity to Strategic Clarity
The strategy enables a dynamic response to uncertainty, including policy shifts, renewable deployment risks, and evolving customer demand, while paving the way for a credible path to early deployment and long-term growth.
No confidential model outputs, customer names, site assumptions, pricing assumptions or deployment timetables have been disclosed.
Relevance to Today’s Clients
Built Confidence offers these core Advisory and Strategy services to help organisations translate complex, uncertain market environments into practical market and investment strategies.
For organisations operating in emerging or rapidly transforming markets, this approach provides strategic insight, ensuring that innovation can successfully transition into scalable, investable infrastructure programmes.
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