A facility near the village of Capenhurst in Cheshire will be the site of a new £196m investment in the production of high tech fuel to power advanced nuclear reactors
The U.K. will be the first European nation to produce advanced nuclear fuel – a market currently dominated by Russia – to help fuel nuclear power plants at home and abroad.
This is part of the government plan to push Vladimir Putin out of the global energy market and drive down energy bills.
The UK will build Europe’s first facility to The government is awarding £196 million to Urenco to build a uranium enrichment facility.
This will produce fuel by 2031 that would be ready to export or use domestically, and could power UK homes in the next decade. It will put an end to Russia’s reign as the only commercial producer of high-assay low enriched uranium (HALEU) and ensure other countries are not reliant on Russian exports.
The new facility will support around 400 highly-skilled jobs, helping to boost the local supply chain and grow the economy.
The announcement will cement the status of the North-West of England as a world leader in nuclear fuel production and says the Government builds on the Prime Minister’s ‘national endeavour’ to secure the future of the UK’s thriving nuclear industry – investing at least £763 million in skills, jobs, and education.
In the two years since Putin illegally invaded Ukraine, the UK has led the way in cracking down on Russian oil and gas imports. Now, the UK is working with its nuclear allies to build a secure global uranium supply chain free from Russian influence.
The UK is also leading the way in fusion energy development, as engineering and construction companies will be invited on to bid for up to £600 million to build the first commercially viable fusion prototype power plant at a former coal plant in Nottinghamshire. Fusion could generate a near limitless source of clean electricity, securing the UK’s long-term energy independence.
