LAND at Sellafield owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has been submitted to Government as a site for potential nuclear new build.

The NDA submitted the nomination yesterday (Tuesday, March 31), in time to meet the Department of Environment and Climate Change’s (DECC) Strategic Sites Assessment deadline.

The nomination concerns a 250 hectare site just north of the existing Sellafield plant, and has been prepared by the Nuclear New Build Nomination (NNBN) team Lakes Renaissance.

DECC will make the details of the nomination public on 15 April and there will be several opportunities for the public to comment throughout the rest of the year. The Government will finally decide on which sites in the UK are appropriate for possible nuclear development early next year.

Nuclear new build is a key component of the Britain’s Energy Coast™ Masterplan, which aims to establish West Cumbria as a major national hub for low carbon and renewable energy generation.

Locally it could create thousands of new jobs during the construction and operation phases; safeguard and create thousands more throughout the nuclear supply chain; and attract investment in infrastructure and local services, such as improvements to transport links and access to services.

Nationally, it could play an important role in helping the Government’s response to the pressing challenges of climate change and energy security.

Partners have been working for the past 18 months on the nuclear new build nomination, ensuring that the NDA site meets the Government’s siting criteria and generating market interest among utility companies.

Significant progress has been made to address the issue of an improved connection to the National Grid, with overland, sub-sea and hybrid connections currently being considered. An improved grid connection will not only serve any new nuclear power station but also the other renewable energy industries expected to develop in West Cumbria over the coming years, such as wind, tidal, wave and biomass.

There has also been significant interest from utility companies including RWE npower, Vattenfall and Iberdrola/Scottish Power, attracted by the world-class skills base and strong local support for the nuclear industry. There is also enough reprocessed fuel currently in storage at Sellafield, to power two reactors for up to 60 years, making the site “self sustainable” and saving more than £2 billion. Using reprocessed fuel could generate up to £20 billion inward investment without the need for Government funding and avoid the creation of 0.5 billion tonnes of CO2.

RWE npower has also submitted two sites in West Cumbria through the Strategic Siting Assessment process – one in mid-Copeland near Sellafield and the other in south Copeland in the Millom area. The utility company has secured options to buy the sites; has made an offer for the mid-Copeland site for a 3.6GW grid connection and intends to make a second grid connection for the second site in the Spring.

To find out more about new nuclear power stations and how to make your views heard visit: www.nuclearpowersiting.decc.gov.uk or call 020 7215 3331