Hopes of Carlisle enterprise zone becoming a nuclear hub

Kingmoor Park Enterprise Zone is in the running to host small modular reactor (SMR) factories for both Holtec Britain and Rolls-Royce SMR.

Rolls-Royce SMR announced that Kingmoor Park was on their list of potential locations for a factory to manufacture the ‘heavy vessels’ for its SMRs in July 2022.  In May, Holtec Britain also named the park as one of four finalists in its shortlist of places to build a fleet of SMRs destined for deployment in the UK, Europe and Middle East.

If successful, Kingmoor Park will benefit from an initial investment of £1.3 billion.

The development and operation of the 20-hectare site is tipped to generate 3,600 jobs and support 400 more when it begins manufacturing, contributing an estimated £1.5 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the local economy.

Average earnings for employees are expected to be over £50,000.

Artist's impression of a Rolls-Royce SMR power station (Image: Rolls-Royce)

Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce has plans for a 300,000 square foot site at Kingmoor Park.

“It will be a nice problem to have if we need to squeeze both of them next to each other onsite,” says Neil McIntyre, managing director of Kingmoor Park.

“If we landed both or either it would be transformational for Carlisle in terms of the investment and job creation.”

Holtec Britain and Rolls-Royce SMR are two of six companies taking part in a government competition to begin producing the reactors for civil nuclear energy production, alongside EDF, GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy International LLC, NuScale Power and Westinghouse Electric Company UK Limited.

The successful companies were on track to be awarded contracts this summer.
However, delays - not least due to the General Election - mean they are likely to have to wait some time longer.

The ambition is to deliver operational SMRs by the mid-2030s.

Neil McIntyre, managing director of Kingmoor Park (Image: Neil McIntyre)

Neil says he and Kingmoor Park owner and founder Brian Scowcroft want to build its reputation as a hub for the nuclear industry, beyond the production of SMRs, making use of its road and rail connections to sites such as Sellafield and Moorside, as well as the Port of Workington.

It also plays a part in the nuclear supply chain as a home for Bendall’s Engineering, which acquired a site on Kingmoor Park in May and is currently delivering an £8.4m contract to deliver 18 instrument cabinets and seven shielding blocks for the SIXEP Continuity Plant (SCP) project at Sellafield.

“We are really trying to position ourselves, in terms of nuclear, as being the gateway to West Cumbria,” says Neil.

“Things can come here by road on the M6 to a central hub and then load onto rail and be transported in the most efficient way possible.

“We really want to push Carlisle as a nuclear region and we want to start pulling people together to show there is a centre of excellence here.”

Alongside the area’s nuclear credentials and connections, Neil says it is also well placed to provide the skills necessary for the SMR factories and other projects, due to the presence of training centres in Cumbria such as Energus, the National College for Nuclear and Lakes College.

This is in addition to the population growth and increasing appeal of Carlisle as a place to live and invest due to developments such as St Cuthbert’s Garden Village, which aims to build 10,000 new homes to the south of the city.

“That can all be part of this journey and accelerate it,” says Neil.

“Brian’s vision has always been for Kingmoor Park to create a real legacy and bring long-term jobs and prosperity to Carlisle.

“We are willing to be involved and as passionate as anyone could be about making this happen.”