- New data shows North West has over 29,000 jobs – most out of any UK region
- Region’s nuclear workforce grew by 8% compared to last year
- 370 new jobs in nuclear fuel, as allies turn to UK to replace Russian supplies
The number of people working in the nuclear sector in the North West has risen to its highest level in at least ten years, according to new data from the Nuclear Industry Association.
The NIA’s 2024 Jobs Map – the sector’s major annual jobs report – shows there are currently 29,204 people working in the region’s civil nuclear industry, the highest number since at least 2012.
The industry is a vital engine of economic development in the North West, housing a world-class skills base in decommissioning, fuel and other disciplines and hosting some of the most prestigious nuclear facilities in the country.
Sellafield in Cumbria remains the largest employer with a workforce of 11,900, 566 more than 2023, which sustains its global reputation for dealing with legacy issues. In Warrington, over 5,000 people work across the new build and decommissioning programmes.
In Lancashire, the two Heysham nuclear power plants employ more than 1,100 people, with station staff generating more low carbon power than any other site in the country.
There are also 370 more people working in nuclear fuel compared to last year, with 215 extra jobs at Urenco at Capenhurst in Cheshire and 158 new jobs at Springfields Fuels in Lancashire, as our allies around the world, including Ukraine, turn to the UK so they do not need to buy from Russia anymore.
Capenhurst and Springfields are the largest net exporters in the nuclear sector, and provide vital fuel fabrication and uranium enrichment for the UK’s own energy security.
Urgent investment is now needed to sustain those jobs and ensure nationally critical skills are not lost as the existing nuclear fleet retires. Heysham 1 will retire in March 2026, and Heysham 2 in 2028, while Springfields, which supplies the stations with fuel, will see its demand fall. A major new nuclear programme, including a new uranium conversion facility at Springfields, would secure the future of those communities, and those of others across the country.
Across the UK, nearly 87,000 people work in the civil nuclear sector, a 60% increase since 2014, driven by major new projects like Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C, and the UK must train tens of thousands of additional workers to deliver the government’s nuclear commitment.
Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said:
“The North West exemplifies the best of the nuclear industry, with thousands of dedicated people playing a vital role in our energy security, our economic prosperity, and even our allies’ resistance to Russian aggression abroad. They do it all in the North West.
“We can have more of these jobs and these opportunities for the next generation of young people if we build a new fleet of stations: the Heysham AGRs have been standard bearers of home grown energy for decades, and the site is perfect as part of the first wave of new small modular reactors in the UK.”
Josh MacAlister MP, Whitehaven & Workington, Co-Chair, Nuclear Energy All-Party Parliamentary Group, said:
“The nuclear industry is absolutely vital to the North West, providing skilled, secure employment and regional economic development as well as playing a vital part in meeting net zero and energy security targets.
“With world class innovation from fuel design through to waste management and using isotopes to detect and treat disease, it’s fantastic to see the civil sector not just sustained but seeing year on year job growth, and huge investment into apprenticeships and training right across the country.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
- The 2024 Jobs Map is made up of participating NIA members and can be accessed here.
- The UK has five generating nuclear power stations, providing around 15% of the country’s electricity from 5.9 GW of capacity. All but one are scheduled to retire by 2028.
- Hartlepool and Heysham 1 are scheduled to retire by March 2026, and Heysham 2 and Torness are scheduled to retire by March 2028.
- Hinkley Point C, the only new nuclear power station under construction in the UK, is due to begin generating in 2029-2031.
- Nuclear has saved the UK 2.3 billion tonnes of carbon emissions, far more than any other source. The saving is equivalent to all UK emissions from 2015 through 2020.
About the Nuclear Industry Association
As the trade association for the civil nuclear industry in the UK, the Nuclear Industry Association represents more than 300 companies across the UK’s nuclear supply chain.
Links
Visit our website: www.niauk.org
Follow the NIA on Twitter @NIAUK and LinkedIn
For further information, please contact:
[email protected]
+44 7517 108023
