Holtec Britain has announced a shortlist of four sites that have made it through to the final stage of its competition to find a new factory and production site to build a fleet of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), which will be used in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. The inclusion of Kingmoor Park in Carlisle was warmly welcomed by Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (Cumbria LEP) and Cumberland Council, which jointly developed the Expression of Interest.
The chosen location will benefit from an initial investment of £1.3billion, reflecting Holtec’s budget for construction. The development and operation of the 20 hectare site is anticipated to directly generate thousands of jobs over the next 15 years. SMRs are viewed as being essential to help the UK meet its net zero and energy security ambitions with a government target of 24GigaWatts of nuclear capacity by 2050.
New economic analysis carried out by the economics consultancy ChamberlainWalker states that the planned factory will be part of an export market, which could be worth hundreds of billions in the run up to 2050. The project is also projected to contribute approximately £1.5billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the economy of the chosen location.
Earlier this year, local authorities and businesses were invited to submit Expressions of Internet (EOIs) to host the factory, assessed on deliverability, connectivity, regeneration potential, skills and research, and quality of life. Of 13 that took part the four through to the final stage are South Yorkshire Combined Authority, West Midlands Combined Authority, Tees Valley Combined Authority and Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership.
A final decision to select the winner will be made in the autumn. It is expected that the site will be used to produce 2-4 reactors per year, valued at £1-2bn each. The factory site will not deal with any nuclear fuel. Holtec has been active in the UK for over a decade, notably with Sizewell B.
Its presence in the UK continues to grow, supported by Professor Dame Julia King, Baroness Brown of Cambridge, who joined as a Senior Adviser in February. Baroness Brown has vast experience across engineering, net zero policy and technology previously serving as Vice-Chair of the Committee on Climate Change.
Lord Inglewood, Chair of Cumbria LEP said “It is excellent news that Kingmoor Park is one of the shortlisted sites and confirms that Cumbria is recognised as one of the most serious players in both clean energy and advanced manufacturing capabilities. Holtec Britain has recognised that we have the necessary skills and expertise to meet their requirements and we are prepared to make sure that we showcase these in the next stage of the process.”
Andrew Seekings, Chief Executive Officer, Cumberland Council said: "We are thrilled that Kingmoor Park has been shortlisted. The potential investment and creation of high-quality jobs would support regeneration and have a long-term positive impact on our communities."