On 27 June 2018, the Government released the details of the Nuclear Sector Deal. The Government press release summarised the commitments for the industry:
- new £200 million Nuclear Sector Deal to secure the UK’s diverse energy mix and drive down the costs of nuclear energy meaning cheaper energy bills for customers
- includes £32 million boost from government and industry to kick-start new advanced manufacturing programme including R&D investment to develop potential world-leading nuclear technologies like advanced modular reactors
- a commitment to increasing gender diversity with a target of 40% women working in the civil nuclear sector by 2030[1]
On 28 June 2018, the Government issued a written statement giving details of the Deal and summarising the proposals:
The Government has worked closely with the sector champion Lord Hutton and industry leads from the Nuclear Industry Council to develop a number of proposals by 2030, which include:
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30 per cent cost reduction in the cost of new build projects
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Savings of 20 per cent in the cost of decommissioning compared with current estimates
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Women to make up 40 per cent of the nuclear sector by 2030
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Win up to £2bn domestic and international contracts
[1] Gov.uk, New deal with industry to secure UK civil nuclear futre and drive down cost of energy for customers, 27 June 2018