Civil Nuclear
The region offers:
- An existing nuclear supply chain
- An established workforce experienced in the nuclear field
- Access to a world leading manufacturing base capable of creating the components for new nuclear builds
Within the East of England supply chain, opportunities in the sector mainly relate to manufacturing non-nuclear components during the building of new reactors. Those skills will be ideal longer-term to meet demands from around the world.
The region boasts complimentary engineering, project management and environmental expertise which can readily be used by the nuclear industry.
Suffolk has an operating nuclear power station at Sizewell B, owned by EDF Energy, which is not due for decommissioning until 2035. It is UK’s only pressurised water reactor
Two nuclear facilities in the region are being decommissioned: Sizewell A, which closed in 2006, and Bradwell, Essex (2002). Both are being decommissioned by Magnox South for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), a process providing around 400 jobs at each plant.
Two of the ten UK sites assessed as potentially suitable for nuclear new build are in the region – Sizewell C and Bradwell. The Sizewell C proposal is for a twin reactor facility providing 3.2GW and creating around 700 permanent jobs. Thousands more direct and indirect jobs will be involved during the construction period with an estimated value to the economy of £2bn.
A sale process for the potential new build site at Bradwell has been continuing since late 2009.
