Seminar will highlight nuclear supply chain potential
A FREE event highlighting the opportunities for businesses to benefit from the £70bn nuclear decommissioning programme and new-build strategy is to be held next month.
The ‘New to Nuclear’ day-long seminar event, run by law firm Hammonds, will offer businesses from a broad range of sectors knowledge of how they can become part of the growing supply chain for this high value and fast growing sector.
West Cumbria is home to the headquarters of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), responsible for overseeing safe decommissioning at UK sites. Almost 60% of the NDA’s annual £2.8bn budget is expended in the North West – primarily at Sellafield, which accounts for £1.5bn of expenditure.
Keith Parker, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said: “The UK nuclear industry is gearing up for the challenges and opportunities of nuclear new build, placing UK companies in a prime position to take advantage of the opportunities which will develop.
“On top of this the industry already directly employs some 45,000 workers across the UK, of which 23,000 are based in the North West with decommissioning, waste management and ongoing operations all providing huge opportunities for UK businesses. “
Serious commercial opportunities are also arising from a planned fleet of new nuclear power stations. It is estimated that build costs for each new station will be between £8bn to £10bn, with some of those stations likely to be built in the region.
Kevin Warren, business development manager for the Nuclear Sector at NWDA, said: “The nuclear industry is a key component of the region’s economic renaissance – a sector that can create real economic growth.
“England’s North West has long been recognised as an international pioneer for the nuclear industry, with a renowned skills base and world class expertise in nuclear technology research & development.”
The Hammonds event, to be held in Warrington, will provide an introduction to the nuclear industry with topics including the current political climate for the sector following the election, where the synergies are with other sectors, supply chain development advice as well as the relevant legal issues.
Speakers will include Robert Davies, vice president for new builds at AREVA UK, Dick Raaz, managing director of LLW Repository and Kevin Warren, business development manager for Nuclear at the Northwest Regional Development Agency.
Claire Harvey, a nuclear specialist at Hammonds in Manchester, said: “New nuclear and nuclear decommissioning offer one of the biggest supply chain challenges across the broadest range of industry disciplines in generations.
“The developments will be on a par with the Olympics. They are huge plants with rail, road and sea port infrastructure. Now is the time to find out about how to get involved in the sector. “
The Hammonds ‘New to Nuclear’ seminar is a free event to be held at Birchwood Park, Warrington on the June 7. For more information and to book a place click here.
