Cumbria LEP welcomes Moorside project developments
Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership has welcomed NuGen’s confirmation that the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) is the preferred bidder to invest in the Moorside nuclear power plant development.
Cumbria LEP has been working with NuGen to help deliver Moorside and also to create the right environment to attract direct foreign investment into the project.
Cumbria LEP director Graham Haywood says: “We welcome the confirmation of KEPCO’s plans to invest in Moorside. This is a positive step forward to making the project a reality and bringing a real economic boost to Cumbria.
“Cumbria LEP has always been strongly supportive of Moorside and we’ve been working very closely with NuGen over a number of years to help deliver the project. With secure investment, the project can move forward.
“Moorside will make a major contribution to Cumbria’s economy. It will not only provide significant economic benefits during the construction phase, but it is also a much longer term commitment that will create jobs, secure employment and increase local supply chain opportunities over the next 30-40 years.
“It’s a priority for the LEP to ensure that when Moorside is built, it brings a wider legacy of benefits for communities across Cumbria.”
Moorside will be the largest nuclear plant in Europe and will supply 7% of the UK’s electricity, also creating up to 21,000 jobs.
Cumbria LEP has also been lobbying for additional investment and government support for the nuclear industry in the county, with measures to develop skills, strengthen local supply chains and provide an extended business support programme. It has also requested that key road and rail infrastructure proposals, such as the Whitehaven relief road and the coastal rail line upgrade, are given higher priority.