News and Views

The North West Nuclear Arc welcomes the announcement today that both U-Battery and Westinghouse have won a share of £40 million UK government funding to unlock green jobs by developing the next generation of nuclear energy technology.

Westinghouse based in Lancashire are developing a Generation IV nuclear power plant based on lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) technology. U-Battery, with a site in Cheshire are working on a small high temperature gas-cooled fission reactor.

Lindsay Roche, Director Government Affairs of Westinghouse UK said, ‘Westinghouse is delighted to progress to the next phase of the UK Government’s Advanced Modular Reactor competition with our Lead-cooled Fast Reactor program. This funding will support research and development activities within the Clean Energy Technology Park at Springfields in Lancashire and will facilitate working in collaboration with supply chain partners and universities across the North West Nuclear Arc, demonstrating the breadth of capability which exists in our region to support the development of advanced nuclear technologies.

Steve Threlfall, General Manager at U-Battery, said: “I am delighted that U-Battery has successfully progressed through to Phase 2 of the UK Government’s Advanced Modular Reactor competition, as one of the Government’s preferred reactors designs. U-Battery has also been identified as an excellent potential solution for the supply of low carbon industrial heat, which will support the decarbonisation of a number of heavy and energy intensive industries here in the UK, and enable them to continue to operate as we decarbonise the economy and strive towards delivering net-zero by 2050.”

Dr. John Idris Jones, Chair of Welsh Government’s Snowdonia Enterprise Zone said, ‘This is great news for Westinghouse and U-Battery and for the whole of the North West Nuclear Arc. Investment and development in Advanced Modular Reactors has the potential to not only develop exciting new nuclear technology but also to create jobs and business opportunities across the North of England and North Wales.’

Westinghouse and U-Battery are both active partners in The North West Nuclear Arc - a group of industry, academic and public sector stakeholders - working together to ensure that new nuclear investments happen in the North of England and North Wales.

The North West Nuclear Arc partners believe that new nuclear power is essential if we are to have sustainable, clean energy in the UK. Advanced Modular Reactors can play their part in a Zero Carbon Future. New nuclear developments will also support family – sustaining local jobs, livelihoods and business growth in some of the most disadvantaged places in the UK.

This week NWNA also issued a statement on nuclear in the North and its potential impact on economic recovery. The full statement can be found at https://nwna.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Comms-A4_07_2020_Jobs-003.pdf