Last week the state visit of President Xi Jinping of China heralded a series of announcements of investments from that country into Britain, totalling over £30billion. One of the most significant of these agreements was the decision of the China General Nuclear Power Corporation to invest in the building of the new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset. Hinkley Point C, which is being constructed and will be operated by EDF energy, is the first of a new generation of nuclear power stations for the UK.
It is good news for the future of our nuclear power industry that leading organisations from around the world want to invest in it. As our economy grows, so does the demand for affordable supplies of energy. Nuclear power is a reliable source of electricity that is available when we need it. Through the Dungeness power stations, the nuclear industry is also responsible for over 1,000 jobs in the Folkestone and Hythe constituency and has been for over fifty years, a major part of our local economy.
With this new investment from China, as well as the commitments made to the UK nuclear industry from companies like EDF and Hitachi, it is right that we continue to press the case for a new generation power station at Dungeness. Earlier this year EDF confirmed that following its £150million investment in Dungeness B power station, that it would continue to operated until at least 2028; a ten year extension to the operating license. The government has confirmed that its door is open to any energy company that is interested in building a new power station at Dungeness. There are no issues with flood defences at Dungeness that would prevent a new nuclear reactor being built there, as the site has to be protected from the sea in any case. Dungeness has a smaller area of land available to build a new reactor, than locations like Hinkley Point, because of the strict habitat regulations that protect areas of the shingle that have never previously been disturbed by building works. However, land was set aside for a ‘C’ station when Dungeness B was built, and more space has also become available at Dungeness A because of the excellent progress that has been made of the decommissioning of the old power station.
I recently met with Penultimate Power UK who are looking to invest in new technologies that allow nuclear power stations to run from smaller reactors which can be constructed offsite, and then installed at the location. This new approach is potentially much more affordable that the tens of billions of pounds required to build Hinkley Point C. A new power station built around smaller modular reactors could also well suit locations like Dungeness. The government is investing in supporting the development of these new types of reactors for the UK, and this is a subject that I have also recently discussed with the Secretary of State for Energy, Amber Rudd.
I am determined that we should continue to explore every opportunity to secure the next generation of jobs in the nuclear industry for Dungeness and the Romney Marsh. We want a new system in place, before the end of the license for Dungeness B.
