Community leaders have pledged to do all they can to ensure that Copeland is the location for new small nuclear reactors following an announcement from Rolls Royce yesterday.

The company announced it has been backed by private investors and the Government to develop small nuclear reactors to generate cleaner energy.

The creation of the Rolls Royce Small Modular Reactor (SMR) business follows a £195m cash injection from private firms and a £210m grant from the Government.

It has been described as the “largest engineering collaboration the UK has ever seen”.

Copeland MP Trudy Harrison says she will continue to lobby for Copeland to be the location of this new development.

She said: “SMRs will deliver clean, low-carbon, affordable energy and will play a significant role in our net zero ambitions.

“If 16 power stations are built, they will return £52 billion of value to the UK economy by 2050, and generate a £250 billion export market, with the creation of 40,000 high-skilled jobs.

“SMRs are also less expensive than alternatives and will produce power at between £35 to £50 per megawatt-hour.

“The announcement is most welcome and follows years of hard work to get to this significant milestone. Ever since I was elected in 2017, I have campaigned strongly to introduce SMRs and to have them located in Copeland.

“From securing and chairing a Westminster Hall Debate on the Nuclear Sector Deal and pushing for SMRs and outlining the benefits for our area back in 2018, to asking the Treasury to support the financial case in 2019, to the launch of the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan in 2020 (with a commitment at point three to large and small nuclear), through to this year’s publication of the Net Zero Needs Nuclear report, my commitment to the benefits of SMRs has been consistent.

“As Copeland’s MP and through the Nuclear Delivery Group, I will continue to make the strong case for Copeland with colleagues in Government, industry and the local authorities.

“Our community knows more about nuclear power than anywhere else in Europe, and we have a deep talent pool with a track record of safety and deliverability, and Copeland should be at the forefront of this new and exciting development.”

Copeland Mayor, Mike Starkie said: "I think it's very good news. We are well placed to benefit from having that here in west Cumbria. I'm very pleased to hear they have got the funding in place and look forward to seeing how it develops. I think west Cumbria must be very high on the list of places where they are likely to place them."

David Moore, portfolio holder for Nuclear and Corporate Services on Copeland Council, said: "It's really good news we have got that £210 million investment from the government now.

"It's part of what we had in our prospectus. We've always wanted to attract the small modular reactors to west Cumbria. We still think this is one of the best places for them.

"I think everything's right now. The fact that they've got the funding to do all the development work and get to the design and technical work, puts us in a really good position now.

"We'll be lobbying really hard to ensure that some of those reactors are here in Copeland. We'll be lobbying really hard to make sure that does happen."

Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association said: “Match funding for Rolls-Royce SMR sends a huge signal to private investors that the government wants SMRs alongside new large-scale stations to hit net zero. It also shows investors that the government believes in nuclear as a green technology.

“Britain is leading the way in developing this technology, and as we move towards a low-carbon world, there is real opportunity to export to international markets.”