A new company has been launched to bring the next generation of nuclear power to Cumbria.
Solway Community Power Company, chaired by former Sellafield Ltd chief executive Paul Foster, aims to act as a catalyst to speed up the process of bringing a Rolls-Royce small modular reactor or SMR to the county.
The community development company, which will be based in Copeland, has set out a 10-year plan to bring at least one SMR to Cumbria by 2030, with the potential for more to be created by 2033.
The new firm has already applied for funding to create the new power station from the Government and it hopes it will have Whitehall commitment by Christmas this year, with funding talks set to take place at the start of next year.
Mr Foster, who was chief executive of Sellafield Ltd from 2017 to 2020, said: “This is a great opportunity, it is a plan, not a story, this is going to happen. It is really important that we make this happen for West Cumbria. But what really interests and enthrals me is what we then do with that clean, reliable power.”
Rolls-Royce SMR has identified land next to the Sellafield nuclear complex for a small modular reactor after undertaking a review into options of land owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority across the country.
It said it was an important step to deploy a fleet of small reactors that could help ensure the UK can reach net zero and bolster the country’s energy security.
Solway Community Power Ltd will negotiate a contract with Rolls-Royce SMR and oversee the assembly of the new power station as well as the financing and operations behind its creation.
The detailed manufacturing design, site surveys and generic design assessments for the SMR site have already started, and the main construction and commissioning of the site will start in 2026.
Chris Sheryn, of PA Consulting, which is advising the new company, said: “It is an exciting and demanding schedule but the nuclear industry is damn good in a crisis. If we view this as a response to the climate emergency, then I do believe this is doable.”
A fleet of SMRS would produce over 470 mega watts of low-carbon electricity, enough to power a million homes – the equivalent of a city the size of Leeds. The site is estimated to be the size of one-and-a-half football pitches.
Copeland MP Trudy Harrison said: “This is a super exciting day that has been a long time in the making. There is no better site perhaps in the world and definitely in the UK for Rolls-Royce to build.
“Whatever the problem, nuclear is the answer and I am delighted that the government has seen that. I know I have faced criticism in the past for being all talk and no action, but we are now finally getting there. Bringing Rolls-Royce to Copeland will ensure we are on the world stage standing proud.”
