Hello

Decommissioning opportunities continue in the South West

Last month’s DECOM and Supply Chain events in Telford felt like the nuclear industry had fully reconnected, with a much-awaited opportunity for contacts to catch up in person. After a three-year hiatus, DECOM welcomed over 2000 delegates, with companies present from Europe and the Americas.

The event was particularly poignant with the recent closure of Hinkley Point B in Somerset after 46 years of producing clean energy for the UK’s energy grid. In its time, it produced 311 TWh of low-carbon electricity; enough to power every South-West home fully for 33 years whilst saving 107 million tonnes of carbon emissions.

The plant was originally expected to run for 25 years, but thanks to the ingenuity of its engineers, it was able to operate successfully for another 21 years. When compared to output from combined cycle gas turbine powered (CCGT), Hinkley Point B is estimated to have saved the 107 million tonnes of CO2 emissions at a carbon price of £76.89 per tonne that is worth £8.3 billion. We look forward to seeing the forthcoming plans for decommissioning at Hinkley Point B from Magnox and EDF.

We look forward to similarly catching up with friends and colleagues next week, when Nuclear Week in Parliament promises to promote and raise awareness among MPs of the opportunities that nuclear energy presents in the UK.

This week, the new Conservative Party leader, Liz Truss, announced her new cabinet including Jacob Rees-Mogg as Business Secretary and Simon Clarke as the new Levelling Up Secretary, promising a new direction for UK politics this autumn.

Nuclear South West are now calling on the new Business Secretary, Jacob Rees-Mogg, to ensure the UK Government’s commitment to new and existing nuclear projects remains a critical element of plans to be carbon neutral by 2050.

Stefan Cecchini, Chairman at Nuclear South West, said: “We know that nuclear power plays a crucial role in the UK Government’s aims for Net Zero 2050, and we hope that the new Business Secretary will continue to stand by and deliver on this commitment.”

These cabinet positions are now also in place to support the forthcoming decision around the STEP programme, of which Severn Edge in South Gloucestershire continues to bid for the programme placement. We look forward to the decision on the chosen location for this programme, and continue to advocate the benefits and strengths of the nuclear industry in the South West.