Former prime minister, Harold Wilson, is attributed with the oft-quoted aphorism, ‘a week is a long time in politics’. His predecessor but one, Harold Macmillan, also coined a memorable phrase: ‘events, dear boy, events’. According to Jewish folklore, ‘if you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans’. And the significance of this dip into the Oxford book of Quotations? We might plan carefully for the future, but the unexpected does have a habit of cropping up when we least expect it to prompt a reassessment or a reversal of our original intentions.
Just three years ago, the fate of the West Cumbria nuclear industry and, in particular, its heart - the 60 year old Sellafield site - appeared to be sealed, as certain ageing plant began to be taken out of service under the auspices of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). The creation of the NDA sent a clear message from government that the UK’s nuclear era was approaching its end. Today, however, the government is hailing a West Cumbrian renaissance – the “Energy Coast” that will establish the UK once more as a centre of excellence in all things nuclear. Stand aside the NDA, step forward the NNL – the National Nuclear Laboratory - first mooted by government 18 months ago.
And what has prompted this apparent about turn? Why, instability of future energy supplies and climate change, of course.
Last week, Business Secretary, John Hutton confirmed the establishment of the National Nuclear Laboratory, and launched a competition to appoint a commercial operator to run the organisation. The NNL, he said, will play a “vital role in cleaning up…the UK’s nuclear waste legacy”, but also added that it will contribute to the “programme of nuclear new build.” The government is now actively encouraging the nuclear industry to start thinking about the design and construction of a new generation of nuclear power stations for the UK mainland. The ‘West Cumbrian Masterplan’, moreover, is to get a £2 billion cash injection – serious money by any standard.
According to Mr Hutton, it is now clear nuclear power will need to play a crucial role in our low carbon future. “West Cumbria,” he said, “has a key role in helping the UK achieve our energy goals of tackling climate change and securing future energy supplies.” So, while the NDA is to continue to have a role in terms of the nuclear ‘clean-up’, its existence no longer presages the demise of an industry. Instead, its facilities are to be absorbed into the NNL along with civil nuclear R&D group, Nexus Solutions’ contingent of around 750 staff, to exploit emerging domestic and international markets for nuclear technology and research services.
The NNL will be a government owned entity, but it will operate on a commercial basis from the Spring of 2009. The Sellafield Technology Centre, parts of which have remained mothballed for years, is also likely to see a revival, securing many thousands of jobs in the region. The final decision on its fortunes, however, rests with NNL’s commercial operator and many hard headed business decisions will need to be taken before its future is assured.
Nonetheless, the government has strongly signalled its intention to turn the birthplace of civil nuclear power into a new world hub for related research. So, unless events, dear boy, events dictate otherwise, we are very likely to see a rather controversial industrial activity on the North West coast, reinvigorated.
Les Hunt
Editor
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