Nuclear power plant will give town a jobs boost

FINAL approval by the European Union of a new £16 million nuclear power station at Hinkley Point, in Somerset, is good news for Warrington, according to MP David Mowat.
It is estimated that some 3,200 jobs in the borough are directly connected to the nuclear supply chain and Hinkley clearing its final hurdle is likely to mean the number will rise over the next few years, the Warrington South MP said.
French energy giant EDF will build the new plant but construction of its two reactors will create new manufacturing and engineering jobs throughout the supply chain.
Mr Mowat (pictured) said: “The announcement is welcome news for Warrington.
“We have a great many highly-skilled engineering and manufacturing companies in Warrington whose long term futures depend on Britain’s nuclear industry.
“These two new reactors, on their own, will produce seven per cent of the UK’s electricity – more than the combined maximum capacity of every onshore and offshore wind farm in the country.
“Replacing Britain’s aging coal-fired power stations with a new fleet of nuclear power stations is the best way to cut our carbon emissions while keeping energy bills lower for consumers.”
It is almost 20 years since a nuclear energy plant was built in the UK and the two reactors planned for Hinkley, which will provide power for about 60 years, are a key part of the Government’s drive to shift the UK away from fossil fuels towards low-carbon power.
The plant is expected to begin operating in 2023 and the government believes that with new nuclear power, including Hinkley, the average energy bill in 2030 will be £77 lower than it would have been without the new plants.
However, the project is not without controversy.
Green critics believe the government should have offered subsidies to renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar energy.
Austria, which strongly supports green energy, has threatened to take the European Commission to the European Court of Justice to protest against the decision.
And Greenpeace spokeswoman Andrea Carta said: “There is absolutely no legal, moral or environmental justification for turning taxes into guaranteed profits for a nuclear power company whose only legacy will be a pile of radioactive waste.”