John welcomes figures that show there are 4050 nuclear jobs in Constituency thanks to Government investment in the nuclear power industry.
More jobs are expected to follow as this week the Government announced they are pushing ahead with Great British Nuclear (GBN) to encourage new investment in the UK’s nuclear industry, launching a competition for the development of small modular reactor (SMR) technology.
Unlike conventional reactors that are built on site, SMRs are smaller, can be made in factories and could transform how power stations are built by making construction faster, and less expensive.
GBN will play a key role in helping the government hit its ambition to provide up to a quarter of the UK’s electricity from homegrown nuclear energy by 2050 and achieve among the cheapest wholesale electricity prices in Europe, whilst supporting jobs across the country.
Last year, the Government made the historic decision to revitalise the UK nuclear industry by confirming the first state backing of a major nuclear project in over 30 years, investing £700 million in Sizewell C. Subject to final approval, the project will support 10,000 jobs at peak construction, and provide reliable, low-carbon power to the equivalent of six million homes for over 60 years.
Commenting, John said: “As we strive for energy independence, we must invest in new technologies such as new nuclear to boost the security of our energy supply. I am delighted that there are thouands of nuclear jobs in the Constituency with the Government going further to facilitate more private investment in our nuclear industry."
Energy Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Britain has a rich history as a pioneer of nuclear power, having launched the era of civil nuclear power – and I’m proud to be turbocharging its revival and placing our country once again at the forefront of global innovation. By rapidly boosting our homegrown supply of nuclear and other clean, reliable, and abundant energy, we will drive down bills for British homes and make sure the UK is never held to energy ransom by tyrants like Putin. As we open Great British Nuclear and the competition to develop cutting-edge small modular reactor technology, which could result in billions of pounds of public and private sector investment, we are seeing the first brush strokes of our nuclear power renaissance to power up Britain and grow our economy for decades to come.”
