A TRADE union is urging the Scottish Government to drop its opposition to new nuclear energy and claimed Scotland is “missing the opportunities that come with nuclear expansion”.
Currently, Scotland has just one active nuclear power plant at Torness in East Lothian, which is due to be closed by 2028.
However, ministers have maintained that Scotland does not need new nuclear energy plants due to an abundance of renewables and concerns about the timescale, cost and safety of such infrastructure.
Now, in a letter to Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes and Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin, GMB Scotland policy and external relations officer Rory Steel called on the Scottish Government to reconsider its opposition.
“Scotland is missing the opportunities that come with nuclear expansion," said Steel.
“The Scottish Government’s continued block on new nuclear energy is forcing the sector into decline despite the benefits it brings to meeting net zero targets, energy security and high skilled, high-paid employment to thousands.
“The jobs promised through the just transition have not materialised.”
He continued: “If new nuclear sites are being built in Scotland, then the work has to be done here.
“According to the ONS [Office for National Statistics], each nuclear job supports a further 2.3 jobs in the wider economy.
“This ‘multiplier effect’ is the greatest of any part of the low carbon and renewable energy economy (LCREE), and it is significantly higher than investment in wind power can deliver due to the strong nuclear supply chain.”
Construction on the UK’s newest nuclear infrastructure, Hinkley Point C in Somerset, began in 2017.
It was set to open in 2027 but earlier this year owner EDF announced that it was unlikely to be operational before 2030 due to delays and spiralling costs.
The site was expected to cost up to £26 billion but overall costs have since been revised and could stretch to up to £34 billion.
Still, the Labour-affiliated union said decades-long timescales shouldn’t deter ministers.
“This is no quick fix and will take decades, but that means there is an even greater imperative to begin work as quickly as possible,” said GMB Scotland secretary Louise Gilmour.
“We must make the plans and investments now to meet tomorrow’s targets and if Scotland is at all serious about net zero, then ministers must reconsider nuclear and exploit its potential to reduce emissions and deliver stable and secure energy.
“Hunterston and Torness offer us the opportunity to expand and create low carbon energy and highly-paid jobs. Those jobs are already being created and the economic benefits seized elsewhere on these islands and Scotland must no longer drag our feet.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “New nuclear power is expensive, will take years to become operational and involves significant environmental concerns – not least the long-term disposal and management of radioactive waste.
“Rather than waste further money on nuclear, the Scottish Government has been consistently clear that it makes far greater economic and environmental sense to make greater use of renewable electricity generation.
“We are embracing renewables, hydrogen and carbon capture and storage to drive economic growth, support green jobs and deliver secure, affordable and clean energy for Scotland.
“Our upcoming energy strategy and just transition plan will set out how we will support workers to take advantage of the enormous opportunities offered by becoming a net zero economy.”
It comes after bosses at Grangemouth oil refinery confirmed the site will close by next summer with around four-fifths of the workforce set to lose their jobs.
