Rolls Royce’s plans for Oldbury and Berekley sites will be a boost to Western Gateway

After the disappointing loss of our STEP fusion bid, we have now had some very welcome news on the nuclear energy front.

That good news came from Rolls Royce which has prioritised Oldbury and Berkeley as potential sites for the development of their ground breaking new Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).

This is a big boost for the Western Gateway team who drove the Severn Edge fusion bid which we lost out on to Nottingham.

Why did we lose it?

No details yet and I am no nuclear expert, but I don’t believe we can dismiss politics playing a role in the decision as part of the government’s Levelling Up programme.

The Western Gateway partnership fielded a brilliant team of specialists and I think it is now fitting that we have the chance of siting these SMRs.

I understand they are around the size of three soccer pitches each, and obviously a lot cheaper and quicker to build than large nuclear sites.

Oldbury, of course, was part of the twin site on the Western Gateway bid. The other site in that bid-Berkeley-was also named as a site which could have 4-6 SMRs but requires further investigation potential.

I think it is testament to the strength of the Severn Edge fusion bid that this new opportunity with the SMRs has come to us.

Severn Edge had big support from our local communities, councils, and MPs.

And I believe that support put down a marker with government that we have the specialist skills here to develop the SMR programme as part of the Western Gateway’s goal to promote the area for low carbon energy to help drive the national effort to reach Net Zero.

I am pleased that Rolls Royce has identified the nuclear heritage and skills of the Western Gateway and its partners.

And this news proves one thing after the big fusion setback—Don’t give up.