Merseyside firms to benefit from UK nuclear power programme
The Government’s revival of UK civil nuclear power will create a vast raft of new business opportunities for North West companies.
Lobby group Mersey Maritime, of Birkenhead, hosted the first workshop to discuss the potential of the civil nuclear sector.
The skill base of Merseyside’s maritime engineering and business sector is ideally suited to turn inland to facilitate this multi-billion pound growth area.
Setting the pace is Birkenhead-based Cammell Laird, which is now expanding from ship building and repair into bidding for civil nuclear plant component supply.
It is doing this in partnership with Nuvia, of Warrington, which has worldwide experience of the sector as part of the international Vinci group.
Laird’s riverside site is ideal assembling large components and barging them to nuclear power plant sites at Wylfa, Anglesey, and Sellafield, Cumbria.
Each plant costs about £8bn and many of their ancillary buildings are not specialist nuclear structures.
Add a commentRecommend This will be a great chance for Merseyside and Cheshire SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) to enter the civil nuclear market, according to Jim Teasdale, Mersey Maritime chief executive.
Presentations were also made by organisations including Horizon Nuclear Power, Westinghouse, the Nuclear Industry Association, and the Manufacturing Advisory Service.
Mr Teasdale said: “There was a similar conference in London and we asked if the main speakers could come up here.
“We’re here not only to develop world-class businesses, but to create an SME supply chain cluster and as a point of contact.”
Ian Higby, Mersey Maritime chairman, also attended in his role as Atlantic Container Line managing director.
“With our North America - Europe liner service, we can easily move major components,” he said.
“Transport is usually the last thing people think of, but is vital.”
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