By Alan Irving

Last updated at 12:33, Friday, 29 June 2012

The shadow Secretary of State for Energy hailed Sellafield as a national asset in a visit to the plant but admitted she did not know when a new Mox facility would open.

From left, Fallon Ventress-Tiernan, political advisor, Mark Steele, NDA head of programme for Sellafield, Ben Chilton, Sellafield government relations officer, MPs Tom Greatrex and Caroline Flint, Chris Halliwell, head of progamme delivery and Ian Stafford, Sellafield’s head of manufacturing, vitrification plant

The visit by Caroline Flint yesterday came just three weeks after 800 jobs were thrown into doubt following a decision by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) to close the site’s Thorp reprocessing plant in six years time.

Only last year 600 workers were worried about their future when the Mox plutonium recycling plant was forced into shutdown because Japan’s nuclear reactor disaster left it with no more business.

All the workers have since been found other jobs on the site but the decision to close the Thorp reprocessing plant in 2018 has led to new concerns and unions pressing hard for the Government to give the green light for a brand new Mox plant. An announcement due last year has still not been forthcoming.

The shadow energy minister said she “wished she knew” when the Mox2 plant would open.

“We have an energy bill that will be starting its journey through parliament, nuclear is very important to that,” she said. “Whether it is decommissioning or new build, there’s no doubt that people working here at Sellafield do want some direction. We need to take back to Parliament what we have heard here today from the workers and the management and where it fits in with what the Government is discussing.

“I am more aware than I was before I came here about how important it is to sustain jobs for the community in west Cumbria for the future but it is not only about Sellafield. What’s exciting is that people at Sellafield are working with others to think of other opportunities.

“The onus is on Government to make decisions in good time so we don’t lose out in job opportunities and investment.”

She said there was ‘no doubt’ nuclear energy could play a huge role in terms of the future power supply and tackling climate change.

“There are huge opportunities for us to show what we have at Sellafield, a centre of excellence. It has been interesting to hear about the collaborations and discussions going-on,” she added.

“For those to turn into something that is practical and workable then Government has to give some direction for investors to have confidence to invest in nuclear expertise. In Cumbria we have an expertise that is second to none.

“Sellafield is a national asset, not only in terms of the innovation, the tasks being carried out here today but a workforce which is better or as good as anything in the world.

First published at 11:30, Friday, 29 June 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk