Civils contractors today welcomed the publication of the UK Government’s British Energy Security Strategy and said that the industry stands poised to deliver on the ambitious plan for 95% of Great Britain’s energy to be low carbon by 2030.
The plan will involve the quicker expansion of nuclear, wind, solar, hydrogen, oil and gas generation, including delivering the equivalent to one nuclear reactor a year instead of one a decade.
The rapid roll-out of the Energy Security Strategy will support more than 40,000 jobs in clean industries, totalling 480,000 jobs by the end of the decade.
Commenting, Director of Operations for the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) Marie-Claude Hemming said: “The plans announced by the UK Government today are only ambitious in that they rise to the challenge facing the nation in terms of energy security in a rapidly changing world.
“The changing geopolitical situation caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine underlines the need for the UK to be energy-secure, but this must only be done in the context of the imperative to achieve net zero and rise to the climate challenge.
“We are particularly glad to see that the UK Government is placing a renewed emphasis on new nuclear power, with the creation of a new Government body ‘Great British Nuclear’, which will be set up immediately to bring forward new projects, backed by substantial funding, and the launch of the £120 million Future Nuclear Enabling Fund later this month.
“CECA has long argued that new nuclear must be an important part of the UK’s future energy mix, which must be based on a mixed portfolio of generation in order to keep the lights on and sustain our low-carbon future.
“Furthermore, the Government’s strategy will create thousands of highly-skilled jobs across the country, to the wider benefit of the economy as a whole.
“CECA members stand poised to deliver on the UK Government’s plans for a secure, low-carbon energy future, and we look forward to working with them, government at all levels, and all other stakeholders to realise this ambitious vision in the months and years ahead.”
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