Cumbrians have warned the collapse of plans to build a new power station could mean “devastation” for a region that relies so heavily on nuclear jobs.
“There are virtually no other manufacturing jobs for 40 miles in either direction until you get to Carlisle or Barrow-in-Furness. A lot of people will be worried, especially as reprocessing is coming to an end at Sellafield.”
Egremont councillor Neil Ferguson
Japanese engineering giant Toshiba is winding up its NuGen business which was to build three reactors at Moorside to generation seven percent of the UK’s energy needs.
More than 20,000 workers would have been employed to build the £15bn plant, close to the Sellafield complex, and 1,000 people would have been employed once electricity was generated from 2024.
It is a major blow for workers in towns and villages in the rural west Cumbrian district Copeland where more than 14,700 workers – half of all local jobs – are employed in the nuclear industry.
No jobs for miles
Trudy Harrison, who last year became Copeland’s first Conservative MP since 1931 in a by-election, said it was a “desperate situation, and not where we want to be”.
“NuGen has been thwarted by global issues but Moorside must be delivered,” she said on Facebook, adding that she had tabled an urgent meeting with energy minister Richard Harrington.
Neil Ferguson, a Labour councillor in Egremont, told i: “This is devastating news. The area is dominated by the nuclear industry and relies so heavily on nuclear money. It has kept us afloat.
”There are virtually no other manufacturing jobs for 40 miles in either direction until you get to Carlisle or Barrow-in-Furness. A lot of people will be worried, especially as reprocessing is coming to an end at Sellafield.“
Joan Hully, a Labour councillor in Cleator Moor, said: ”It will be upsetting for the area. It’s a hard knock, but hopefully Moorside will still happen.“
Unions and Labour have attacked the Government for not intervening to ensure the project went ahead – but anti-nuclear campaigners said the decision proved nuclear power was not economically viable.
Justin Bowden, national officer of the GMB union, said: ”The British Government has blood on its hands as the final sad but predictable nail is banged into the coffin of Toshiba’s jinxed jaunt into nuclear power.
“Relying in this way on foreign companies for our country’s essential energy needs was always irresponsible.”
Rebecca Long Bailey, shadow business secretary, said: “Today’s announcement by Toshiba is hugely concerning for the future of the sector and the thousands of jobs it would bring to Cumbria.
”Unfortunately, it’s not surprising given the Government’s long indecision and refusal to step in.“
Greenpeace UK executive director John Sauven said: ”The end of the Moorside plan represents a failure of the Government’s nuclear gamble.“
Committed to nuclear
Sara Medi Jones, acting general secretary of CND, said: ”Nuclear energy isn’t just dirty and dangerous, this announcement shows once again it’s not economically viable.“
Toshiba said: ”After considering the additional costs entailed in continuing to operate NuGen, Toshiba recognises that the economically rational decision is to withdraw from the UK nuclear power plant construction project, and has resolved to take steps to wind up NuGen.“
A Business Department spokesman said: ”Nuclear has an important role to play as part of the UK’s diverse energy mix as we transition to a low-carbon economy, but in each case projects must provide value for money for consumers and taxpayers.
“This Government remains committed to new nuclear through the Industrial Strategy Nuclear Sector Deal as well as consenting the first new nuclear power station in a generation at Hinkley Point C.”