Could Cumbria get Small Modular Reactors?

The former chief executive of Sellafield Ltd says “there is a long way to go” to bring Small Modular Reactor power to West Cumbria.

In June prime minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed that land at Moorside, adjacent to Sellafield, would be unlocked to pave the way for clean energy development, which may involve a new nuclear power plant in the form of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).

The move followed a series of meetings with ministers and efforts led by the Cumberland Nuclear Future Board, which includes Whitehaven and Workington MP Josh MacAlister and Cumberland Council leader Cllr Mark Fryer.
West Cumbria property development company BEC has been commissioned by the council and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to undertake marketing engagement around the development and publish a masterplan for the site.
Former Sellafield Ltd chief executive Paul Foster praised efforts by Cumberland Council and MP Josh MacAlister to push for the release of the land but says “this is just the beginning”.

Paul is co-founder and chair of Community Nuclear Power Company, which had been focusing on developing an SMR at Moorside before signing an agreement with Westinghouse last year to build four SMRs at Teesside.

He says any prospective developer of SMRs at Pioneer Park would want to answer questions around the condition of the land, including the topography, how deep the bedrock is and how marshy the ground may be.

“That can all be established,” he says.

“But as a developer I would like to know the conditions under which the land will be let. Because unless you're prepared to give me 100 years of unfettered access, then I can't develop it.”

Pioneer Park proposed site (Image: Newsquest)

He says it needs to be made clear if there were any caveats around development on the site.

“Because as a developer I can't raise money and then be told I can't do certain things,” he says.

While “a certain amount” of the power produced by an SMR could be absorbed locally, Paul says a multi-billion pound upgrade would be required to feed it all into the grid.

He says this leaves the option of selling the power to local industry, but it is unclear where this demand would come from.

“We can sell our power five times over on Teesside,” he says.
“Whereas in West Cumbria there isn't the industry. 
So demand has to arrive in order to absorb the power.”

There is also the prospect of more locations putting themselves forward as potential sites for SMRs under the new EN7 development policy, which is expected to be formally designated this year.

The policy will enable developers to identify and promote sites for use for nuclear generation beyond the eight previously identified by the government under the EN6, which includes Moorside.

Paul says these could prove appealing for developers if the Pioneer Park site presents challenges around logistics, construction or finding customers - all factors which effectively reduce the possible income per megawatt.

“I think it’s a great start,” says Paul.

“I applaud the work Josh and the council have done but there is a long way to go yet.”

Former Britain’s Energy Coast Business Cluster chair Ivan Baldwin (Image: Newsquest)

Former Britain’s Energy Coast Business Cluster chair Ivan Baldwin says the news comes at a time when there is a growing focus on nuclear as a low carbon, reliable energy source for facilities such as data centres.

“Companies like Microsoft or Google and all these guys are crying out for new sources of power,” he says.

“As a result of that, what we're starting to see is objections and barriers to nuclear dissipate.”

He agrees an industrial “offtaker” would need to be found for the power from any SMR development at Pioneer Park and the advent of EN7 may see the emergence of more potential sites around the country with such organisations already in place.

“There is always tempered optimism with nuclear,” says Ivan.

“Josh has managed to unlock one of the challenges blocking the area, which is the issue of public ownership, which is a big step forward.
“You’ve got global traction, you’ve got community support and you’ve got that issue unlocked by a very determined local politician. It’s as good, if not better, than it’s ever been.”

Source:Could Cumbria get Small Modular Reactors? | In Cumbria