CARLISLE has lost its bid to host a £1.3 billion small modular reactors (SMR) factory. 

The US nuclear industry giant, Holtec, shortlisted Kingmoor Park in Carlisle as the potential site for the SMR factory after a national competition was held back in May this year. 

However, following stiff competition, the nuclear giant selected South Yorkshire to host the 20-hectare facility out of the four shortlisted locations, from an original 13 bids across the UK.

The ‘game-changing’ factory is projected to contribute approximately £1.5 billion in gross value to South Yorkshire's economy, create 3,600 jobs in construction, and create up to 400 manufacturing jobs once operational.  

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The proposed factory is expected to yield 2-4 reactors yearly, each valued at £1-2 billion.

The SMRS will be built for deployment in the UK, Europe, and the Middle East, with the factory itself not handling nuclear fuel. 

Jo Lappin, chief executive of Cumbria's LEP, said: “Clearly, this is disappointing news.

"However, we have known from the outset that this was going to be a very competitive process as there were 13 applications to the Holtec siting competition.

"The fact that we got through to the final stage, alongside the South Yorkshire, West Midlands and Tees Valley Combined Authorities, is testament to Cumbria’s excellent manufacturing capabilities, nuclear expertise and the quality of the bid, that we and our partners, Cumberland Council and Kingmoor Park Properties Ltd, submitted.

"I am confident that our colleagues in Cumbria will continue to present our exceptional location to future investors and promote the county as a great place to live, work and invest," she said. 

Efforts to lure Holtec GB, a subsidiary of Holtec International, to Carlisle were spearheaded by the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership and Cumberland Council, as well as the Kingmoor Park Properties Ltd team, at the end of July with various representatives visiting the potential Carlisle site. 

Councillor Mark Fryer, the leader of Cumberland Council, said: "I am bitterly disappointed because of the amount of work by the partnership to bring Holtec to Carlisle.

"We were united in our approach with Holtec – business leaders, the local authority, and all the other parties that were involved through the Cumbria LEP.

"We haven't got Holtec but that does not stop us from having the resolve to bring others into our area to develop it."

A spokesperson for Cumberland Council also said: “We will watch how the development moves forward with interest and will build on the foundations of our partnership working to ensure that we are ready for any economic opportunities in the future.”

In May this year, Rolls Royce SMR also chose South Yorkshire to become the home of its new multi-million-pound facility to manufacture and test prototype modules for SMRs with the new decision said to ‘cement South Yorkshire’s place as the natural home for emerging clean energy sectors’.