WEST Cumbria ‘stands the most to gain’ from ambitious government plans to revive nuclear power in the UK, Copeland’s MP has said.

The Government has announced Great British Nuclear (GBN) to drive the rapid expansion of new nuclear power plants in the UK at an unprecedented scale and pace.

It is set to boost UK energy security, reduce dependence on volatile fossil fuel imports, create more affordable power and grow the economy, with the nuclear industry estimated to generate around £6billion for the UK economy.

Companies can register their interest with GBN to participate in a competition to secure funding support to develop their products.

This could result in billions of pounds of public and private sector investment in small modular reactor (SMR) projects in the UK – demonstrating the government delivering on its priorities to partner with the nuclear industry and jointly spearhead the future of nuclear technologies.

Copeland MP Trudy Harrison said: “This has been nearly two decades in the making, since the 'switch it off, knock it down Energy Act of 2004' we have stalled on nuclear.

“As the centre of nuclear excellence, with some 27,000 workers locally, our area was at the forefront of the civil atomic journey and, because of the unique skills we have, we in West Cumbria stand the most to gain by this resurgence.

“I remain absolutely positive that we will secure two Rolls-Royce reactors, it's what we do with that clean power that will make the difference.

“Hydrogen is just one example of an economy we could tap into, with an excess of clean power.”

Workington MP Mark Jenkinson said: “The announcement is great news for West Cumbria, with Great British Nuclear set to support the creation of over 17,000 jobs in Cumbria - more than 80 per cent of which will be in West Cumbria.

“We have some really exciting west Cumbrian projects in the blocks, waiting for the starting gun - from Rolls Royce SMR, industry talking in detail to vendors of Advanced Modular Reactors, and operators with interest in gigascale nuclear at Moorside.

 “Recent regulatory changes have made the funding of nuclear projects easier and offer greater investment security, reducing risk which has historically been a barrier.

 “Every single nuclear reactor currently operational in the UK was given permission under Conservative governments, and I’m proud to be part of a government continuing that legacy.”

Josh MacAlister, Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Whitehaven and Workington, said: “I wholeheartedly back new nuclear because it's key to our future. West Cumbria has the people, plans and energy to start building new nuclear now.

“But the latest government announcement falls well short of local ambition - we need action and urgency. Instead we’re getting glacial progress.

 “We’ve had 13 years of broken promises, jam tomorrow and flashy announcements from the Tories, but still no new nuclear. This is now urgent because we could lead the race for new industrial and manufacturing jobs with the clean, reliable energy that nuclear provides.

 “A year on from the announcement of Great British Nuclear, we still have no roadmap to get new nuclear here. That's why we need a Labour government with the energy and capability to make long term decisions for the benefit of West Cumbria.”