Dear
They say a week is a long time in politics. There’s certainly been much to digest in the four weeks since our last newsletter.
November saw significant announcements around the government’s commitment to a new nuclear power station at Sizewell C. This came in the recent Autumn Statement, which contained a host of energy measures.
It followed hot on the heels of Rolls Royce’s announcement of its work to bring forward a new fleet of small modular reactors in England and Wales. The former nuclear power station near Oldbury on Severn is one of four sites earmarked by Rolls Royce for this new fleet of nuclear power stations.
According to Rolls Royce, each SMR would create enough clean energy to power a million homes for 60 years. Deploying a fleet of SMR would create 40,000 jobs across England and Wales.
These announcements signal the nuclear industry’s importance in supporting the government’s growth ambitions whilst moving towards cleaner, secure energy in the UK.
Nuclear South West chair Stefan Ceccini said:
“We know that the nuclear industry has a vital role to play in helping the country move towards a cleaner, more secure energy supply.
“Across the South West, we have the capacity and the capability to bring forward the change the industry and government wants to see.
“This is demonstrated through the delivery of the UK’s only new nuclear construction project at Hinkley Point C, supported across our supply chain.
“This gives us an unparalleled body of expertise and track record of success across all aspects of new build and decommissioning. We stand ready to support.”
We look forward to working with partners and companies in the South West to achieve on these ambitions.
