THE MP for Chester South and Eddisbury has visited Urenco UK’s nuclear facility at Capenhurst following the announcement in May that £196m would be spent on a new uranium enrichment facility.

Aphra Brandreth toured the companies three existing nuclear enrichment plants, the largest of which, Urenco’s E23 enrichment plant, produces more than 80 percent of the Capenhurst site’s enrichment output.

Urenco use centrifuge technology designed and developed by the company to enrich uranium. Operating since 1973, Urenco employs 1142 employees who have a contract at the three business entities at the Capenhurst site. 

The new enrichment facility, which the previous government pledged £196m to build, should provide around 400 highly skilled local jobs and will produce fuel by 2031 that would be ready to export or use domestically, and could power UK homes in the next decade.

(Image: T Ridgeway)

The investment means that the UK will be the first European nation to produce advanced nuclear fuel, putting an end to Russia’s reign as the only commercial producer of high-assay low enriched uranium (HALEU) and ensuring other countries are not reliant on Russian energy exports. 

Commenting after the visit, Aphra Brandreth MP said: 

“I am an enthusiastic supporter of nuclear energy and it was fantastic to see for myself how the previous Government's £196 million investment to build the first uranium enrichment facility anywhere in Europe will boost Britain's energy security and deliver around 400 highly-skilled local jobs. 

“I am proud that Cheshire is leading the way in the UK's nuclear energy revolution and this record investment will provide a major boost for the local economy. 

“Thank you to the brilliant team at Urenco Capenhurst, particularly Doug Annan and his team, including John Goodall and Mike Dutton who kindly gave me a tour of the facilities. 

“I am looking forward to visiting Urenco again soon.”