NIA welcomes new Government
The Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) welcomes the formation of the new Government and calls on the new Cabinet member with responsibility for energy to continue the current approach to the nuclear sector.
To maintain this consistency, the NIA has outlined four key areas for prioritisation and is today publishing its Priorities for Government paper. They key areas are:
Investment stability to provide long term, cross party certainty and momentum on nuclear projects
To maintain a progressive decommissioning programme
A robust policy to deal with the plutonium stockpile
Education, skills and employment to increase the number of young people studying STEM subjects and doing apprenticeships to regenerate the nuclear workforce
The previous Coalition Government brought forward plans to build the UK’s first new nuclear power station for a generation and the country is now on the cusp of a programme of work which will create tens of thousands of jobs and boost GDP. The previous administration also ring-fenced the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s (NDA) budget to deal with the UK’s historic nuclear waste. The NDA’s strategy has developed over the past five years and a number of key milestones have been met across its 17 sites.
The NIA is calling on the new Government to prioritise these areas to ensure the nuclear sector continues to thrive and can deliver investment and jobs, as well as a multibillion pound export market.
Keith Parker, Chief Executive, Nuclear Industry Association said:
“Nuclear power has provided the UK with clean, reliable and affordable electricity for many decades. I would urge the new Government to continue the previous administrations plans to replace the UK’s current nuclear energy infrastructure. Energy is a key long term issue which requires stability for both consumers and investors.
“Public support remains high for the replacement of the UK’s current fleet of reactors, of which all but one are due to go offline by 2028. Not only will the programme create thousands of jobs and boost GDP, but it offers energy security as a domestic source of electricity not restricted by volatile energy markets. Environmentally it has a key role to play alongside renewables, providing low carbon 24/7 electricity at the lowest possible cost for consumers and assisting the UK’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions and meet its legally binding international targets.”
