Here in Gloucestershire, I believe we are on the threshold of a revival in nuclear energy in the heartland of Berkeley and Oldbury where it was developed in the 1960s.
But our government needs to get a move-on over the establishment of a cluster of new Small Modular Reactors or SMRs as they have become known.
I have written previously that the sale by South Gloucestershire & Stroud college of their Gloucestershire Science and Technology Park at Berkeley Green to the Chiltern group is the start of a potential economic game changer for our region.
However, government have been talking consistently since they came into power about weather reliant solar and wind power. But the weakness of these sources long term seem obvious.
So, what we need is an urgent government decision on the company being awarded permission to develop and build these SMRs—each the size of a few football pitches.
Rolls-Royce, one of our great engineering companies, is among those in the running to win the competitive bid from Great British Nuclear.
The case for Rolls-Royce’s nuclear power ambitions got a major boost last week when the Czech government selected them to build the mini nuclear power plants.
It is a big vote of confidence for the company and it is highly likely they will be a leading player in this new ,multi-billion pound global market.
The mini nuclear reactors will bring benefits to the whole country in reducing reliance on gas and oil as well as the benefits of local jobs and in international trade.
Greater Gloucestershire - as in the 1960s will be the ”ground zero” for this innovation with the guarantee of SMRs being built at Oldbury and Berkeley playing a vital supportive role.
The future for young people to work in this sector is tangible.
Those entering secondary education today will be in high demand for the SMR operators as well as the blue-chip AI data centres ,hydrogen production plants, AgriTech companies, research institutions and business start-ups attracted to an SMR site.
So, the government needs to get a move-on to make some decisions on these new mini nuclear reactors. The benefits to Gloucestershire which has nuclear in its DNA will be major.