Report claims north of England could become a nuclear leader

Commissioned by the Dalton Nuclear Institute, the report highlights the opportunity for the government to invest in the vast potential of the region to meet the demands of the UK’s nuclear new-build programme and use this as a springboard for providing goods and services to the £300bn global nuclear sector.

Prof Peter Storey, director of the Dalton Training Centre, said: ‘The UK government and nuclear industry are faced with a choice — to do nothing and possibly watch the UK nuclear supply chain lose business and economic growth opportunities to overseas-based firms, or to develop a national policy to coordinate the development of UK nuclear supply chain and position UK-based businesses for economic growth in the UK and overseas markets.

‘This report makes it clear that commercial opportunities do exist. With a national policy that is coordinated with the nuclear industry, these opportunities can be realised.’

The report, recently completed for the Northern Way Development Agency, provides a comprehensive assessment of how northern England, with its established nuclear excellence in heavy component manufacturing, consultancy and maintenance services, operation and world-class research and development, is ideally placed to capitalise on civil nuclear new build.