Britain to be plunged into darkness in 9 years as experts warn of energy crisis – Mirror

Experts believe shortages in nuclear power will overshadow the PM’s flagship pledge for every home to be powered by wind farms by the next decade.

Scientists and engineers say the lights will be flickering by then without an ­urgent plan to boost the National Grid with more nuclear power.

A Government White Paper setting out an energy strategy for the next few decades, promised “this autumn” after years of delay, has failed to appear.

There are fears of more hold ups ­because civil servants have been transferred to deal with [Brexit](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/brexit) and Covid.

One industry expert, closely involved in Whitehall talks, said: “We don’t know what Boris is up to.

“But there is one certainty: there will not be enough power to keep the lights on if nothing is done soon.

“The wind power plan will be nothing but hot air without nuclear and won’t fill the energy gap by itself.”

Only one of five nuclear power stations given the go-ahead ten years ago, at Sizewell C in Suffolk, is expected to ­deliver electricity before 2030.

Funding for two others has dried up as foreign investors pull out – including China, in what appears a tit-for-tat ­“consequence” of the bitter diplomatic row over Huawei’s exclusion from British 5G development.

Chinese state-owned company CGN wants a station in Bradwell, Essex, to be the first wholly owned and managed reactor ­outside China.

Wylfa in North Wales has been mothballed after Japanese firm Hitachi pulled out. British investors will not touch the nuclear industry because of the cost of building and waste disposal.

Former Energy Secretary David Howell warned in the House of Lords: “When it comes to the future reliability of energy supplies, the public badly need some reassurance. Our main new nuclear project is well over budget and well over time. The rest of our nuclear programme is full of uncertainties.”

He added: “The National Grid warns of future power cuts unless it can invest in new systems.” Wind power is getting cheaper and the PM is relying on private investors to reach the goal of 40 gigawatts supply by 2030 – four times the existing target but a fraction of the 338 terawatts expected to be needed by then.