Latest news with #Clyde2070
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
SNP ban on nuclear energy is ‘abdication of responsibility'
Today, we exclusively reveal the industry response in the week that the UK Government announced it would create 10,000 jobs with £14 billion-plus investment in a new-era nuclear plant in England. It prompted an angry response from the GMB Scotland union which has written to the Scottish energy secretary calling for a change in stance. Torness, East Lothian. (Image: Getty Images) Louise Gilmour, GMB Scotland secretary, said it is 'beyond time for SNP ministers to exploit the potential of new nuclear energy to achieve net zero and create jobs'. She said: 'New nuclear can help provide a baseload of safe, clean and secure energy while creating thousands of skilled, well-paid, unionised jobs in Scotland. 'The Holyrood government's absolute refusal to seriously consider its potential is an abdication of responsibility and needs to change. 'It makes no sense if ministers want to achieve net zero targets and it makes no sense if they want Scotland's economy to grow again.' The nuclear industry supports almost 3,700 jobs in Scotland adding £400 million to the economy but Ms Gilmour said that is 'only a fraction of the potential economic benefits if the Scottish Government reverses its ban on new nuclear power'. She has urged ministers to trigger an immediate review of future options. READ MORE: 'We need new nuclear to deliver a golden age of clean energy abundance, because that is the only way to protect family finances, take back control of our energy, and tackle the climate crisis. 'This is the Government's clean energy mission in action, investing in lower bills and good jobs for energy security.' A spokesperson also said: 'The announcement comes as the UK Government is set to confirm one of Europe's first Small Modular Reactor programmes. This comes alongside record investment in R&D for fusion energy, worth over £2.5bn over five years. Taken together with Sizewell C, this delivers the biggest nuclear building programme in a generation.' Ms Gilmour wrote to Gillian Martin, Scottish energy secretary: 'A total of 10,000 jobs will be created at Sizewell alone. Where in Scotland are jobs being created at such a scale?' I reported this week that among the Labour government's plans is the redevelopment of a major nuclear base in Scotland. It signals a 'multi-decade' commitment to the site where around 6,500 people work. The UK Government plans a multi-billion-pound redevelopment of His Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde. An initial £250 million of funding will be made over three years which will help support 'jobs, skills and growth' at Faslane, the Royal Navy's main presence in Scotland. Westminster said that the "Clyde 2070 programme represents one of the most significant and sustained UK Government investments in Scotland over the coming decades". A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "The Scottish Government is focussed on supporting growth and creating jobs by capitalising on Scotland's immense renewable energy capacity rather than expensive new nuclear energy which takes decades to build, creates toxic waste which is difficult and costly to dispose of and does not generate power at a cost that will bring down energy bills."
Scotsman
4 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
What the Spending Review means for Scotland and the projects being funded
How the spending plans announced by Rachel Reeves will impact Scotland Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It is a raft of announcements that promises to deliver £52 billion for Scotland by the end of 2029. Alongside funding tranches for Wales and Northern Ireland, chancellor Rachel Reeves said her plans announced in Wednesday's spending review amounted to 'the largest settlements in real terms since devolution was introduced.' But what exactly did she announce, and where is the money going? Acorn Despite numerous promises made by the Conservatives, and then Labour, the carbon capture scheme at St Fergus in Aberdeenshire - which would take greenhouse gas emissions from the nation's biggest polluters and store them in depleted gas reservoirs under the North Sea - has languished on the backburner. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The planned Acorn carbon capture site. | PA The ambitious project suffered a major blow four years ago when it was overlooked for support in favour of two carbon capture and storage initiatives in the north of England. With Acorn instead relegated to a reserve list for funding, the pressure on successive administrations at Westminster to right that wrong has been consistent ever since. Earlier this year, business leaders including Sir Ian Wood warned that Labour's failure to act threatened billions of pounds of investment and thousands of jobs. Such overtures have clearly been listened to by Ms Reeves and the Treasury. However, Ms Reeves did not specify exact levels of funding for the north east project, meaning that there will be keen interest in the government's infrastructure strategy, which is expected to be published next week. A final investment decision on the Acorn project will be taken later this parliamentary term, subject to "project readiness and affordability," according to the Treasury. Faslane As the home of the UK's nuclear deterrent, HM Naval Base Clyde is one of the most integral components of the nation's defence infrastructure, but there have been growing calls for more investment in the site, especially as the first of the new Dreadnought class ballistic missile submarines prepare to enter service. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Number 10 hopes new funding will create more than 8,000 career opportunities to help the sector fill 40,000 new roles by the end of the decade. | PA At a time of ongoing global unrest, Labour has responded, delivering a funding package of an initial £250m over the next three years as part of an initiative known as Clyde 2070. The decision forms part of a wider shift to increase the total defence budget. Ms Reeves described it as part of plans for 'investment in Scotland' and 'jobs in Scotland,' adding that the uplift was opposed by the SNP. The tranche of funding - part of a much broader increase in defence funding that Ms Reeves said will also benefit Scottish manufacturers - will go towards supporting jobs, skills and growth at the site near Helensburgh, and across the west of Scotland. More than 6,500 civilians and service personnel are currently employed on the facility. Supercomputer When the exascale computer was first announced in 2023, the promise of its potential made clear Scotland and the UK would have a device fit to rival anything being used in the US or China, with the technology capable of performing a quintillion - or one billion billion - calculations every second, allowing the UK to keep pace with rapid advances in artificial intelligence. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The University of Edinburgh has been at the forefront of supercomputing for decades. | Contributed But there was uproar last summer after Labour shelved financing for the project, describing it as one of a number of unfunded spending commitments it had inherited from the Tories. That decision was roundly criticised by MSPs, business leaders, and academics. So the decision to finally back the supercomputer initiative to the tune of £750m - confirmed on Monday ahead of the spending review - will be a significant feather in the cap of Scotland's tech industry, and a major boost in particular for the University of Edinburgh, which has already built a £31m building to house the machine. Its principal, Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, said the backing would create 'vast opportunities' for research and innovation. Asylum hotels It was not a prominent part of her speech, but Ms Reeves told the Commons that as part of the UK government's efforts in "tackling the asylum backlog", it plans to use funding to end what she described as 'the costly use of hotels to house asylum seekers' during this parliamentary term. - Labour had already pledged to end the practice in its General Election manifesto, but the confirmation will be undoubtedly welcomed by refugee charities who have long expressed concern about the impact of using such contingency accommodation. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Growth Mission Fund Ms Reeves said the UK government's new Growth Mission Fund, an initiative designed to focus on local projects by way of driving economic growth, will target at least one area in Scotland, with investment scheduled for Kirkcaldy's seafront and High Street. The extent of the funding is unclear, but it will no doubt be welcomed by civil leaders in the Fife town. Barnett consequentials Last, but by no means least, the uplift in funding for key UK government departments announced by Ms Reeves will have a knock-on effect for the SNP administration in Edinburgh. The largest element of Scottish Government funding remains the Barnett based block grant, and changes in that allocation are linked to changes in planned spending by UK Government departments British currency, pound coins and banknotes. The UK's economic outlook is improving, but trade challenges remain. | Contributed
