The UK is in talks with South Korea about building nuclear power plants in Britain to help the Government’s push to triple capacity by 2050.

The Energy Secretary, Grant Shapps, met with his counterpart, Lee Chang-yang, in Seoul yesterday.

They agreed a joint statement of nuclear power co-operation, including plant design and construction, equipment manufacturing, nuclear decommissioning, nuclear fuels and small modular reactors.

Mr Shapps said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has “held up a mirror to the world, reflecting back just how vulnerable our energy security can be” and called for greater co-operation to achieve energy security.

“As we edge closer towards the tipping point when holding onto coal and gas power no longer makes economic sense, let alone environmental sense, there is ever-greater opportunity for British and Korean companies to work together, for the benefit of both countries and our communities.

“I want the Republic of Korea to work ever closer with us in the UK, making the most of world-leading British expertise to move further and faster towards greater use of renewables, of opportunities in the UK to invest, and to redouble our efforts against Putin’s weaponising of our global energy sources.”

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Mr Lee, the Korean trade and energy minister, said co-operation would play to both countries’ strengths. “Korea has competitiveness in design, construction and equipment manufacturing of nuclear power plants while the UK has strengths in the decommissioning of nuclear plants and nuclear fuels,” he said. “The two countries can co-operate in a mutually beneficial way.”

Seoul said it will also hasten talks on Korea Electric Power Corporation’s potential participation in new UK nuclear power plant construction.

State-run utility Korea Electric Power Corporation, which operates nuclear power stations, has previously considered a stake in the proposed Moorside nuclear power plant in Cumbria, England. However, that plan did not go ahead. The site remains under consideration as a possible location for other forms of low-carbon power generation.

Korea has stepped up efforts to export its own reactor technology. It has supplied four reactors for a nuclear power station in the United Arab Emirates and is reported to be examining projects in Saudi Arabia, Poland, Turkey and Kazakhstan.

The move follows the establishment of Great British Nuclear, the body tasked with leading the delivery of a programme of new nuclear projects.

South Korea plans to increase its proportion of nuclear power to almost 35 per cent of its total energy mix by 2036, up from 28 per cent in 2021.

Mr Shapps also encouraged increased collaboration on wind power, pointing out that British companies represent 60 per cent of Korean offshore wind engineering contracts, and that Korea is already investing in UK offshore wind projects.

Mr Shapps’s visit follows the UK Government’s Power Up Britain plan, which proposes classing nuclear energy as being environmentally sustainable.

South Korea is targeting 12GW of offshore wind by 2030 with over 25 projects in development and UK companies represented in 60 per cent of its projects. The UK is targeting 50GW by 2030.

A South Korean firm has already invested £512m in a new factory on Teesside, manufacturing offshore wind turbine foundations. Mr Shapps hopes to attract more investors.