'Torness has to close: but we'd welcome a new reactor'

The Herald Scotland

4 hours ago

Currently, about 550 full-time EDF employees are based at the nuclear power station, with a further 180 full-time contract partners.
That makes the power station among the largest employers in the south-east of Scotland.
However, the station will stop generating power in less than five years' time.
Already, EDF has confirmed that various career opportunities will be available for those employed at the power station, located off the A1.
Councillor Norman Hampshire, leader of East Lothian Council (Image: Contributed)
Councillor Norman Hampshire (Labour) has represented the area for more than 30 years and was part of the construction team at the power station when he was first elected in 1988.
The East Lothian Council leader said: 'Torness is close to my heart.
'I have two sons-in-law who work in the station and it is really their job; if Torness was not there, they would likely have to travel away from here.
'Both are engineers and I had a grandson who was there as well.
'He is an electrical engineer as well and he has taken a year out and is away living in Australia, but his job is there for him when he comes back.
'The family connection is really strong and Torness is of huge, huge importance to the Dunbar economy but also the East Lothian economy as a whole with people working there.'
He described it as 'a huge blow' if the county were to lose the power station and pointed to the increasing demand for electricity across the country.
Mr Hampshire said that this would only continue and said nuclear power was able to provide electricity '24 hours a day, seven days a week'.
He called for a greater examination of a new nuclear facility, such as a modular reactor, being created on the site.
He said: 'We have made that quite clear to EDF when we have been speaking to them.
'We would support a new conventional nuclear power station.
'Rolls Royce have now been appointed by Government to deliver modular reactors in the UK.
'They have got a test site somewhere south of the Border and we would support a modular reactor to be delivered at Torness.
'If it were possible to get a new conventional station, we would support that, but we need the Scottish Government to change its current stance against any new nuclear.
'We have got a real issue that in the future we are going to have a lot of renewable energy but, when we have no wind, then the country will be struggling to keep the lights on, unless we can import power from south of the Border, and that is not the way we should be looking to develop our energy system.'
Councillor Donna Collins (Image: Contributed)
Councillor Donna Collins (Conservative) lives on the opposite side of the A1 from the power station and described its impact on employment in the area as 'massive'.
She said: 'You see a line of cars coming out of Dunbar in the morning.
'It is a massive employer.
'I think they really need to look at how they can retain as many people as possible for decommissioning.'
Nuclear power stations at Hunterston B and at Sellafield in Cumbria are among the stations to have stopped generating power in recent years.
Mrs Collins said: 'It is learning lessons from those decommissioning projects and making sure mistakes are not made here and it is as smooth as possible, any way they can move people to other jobs and they can minimise redundancies.'
Finally, Councillor Lyn Jardine (SNP), who also represents the Dunbar and East Linton ward, described Torness as 'a fairly significant employer'.
Councillor Lyn Jardine (Image: Contributed)
The leader of the opposition on East Lothian Council said: 'Having been there a couple of times and being something of an engineering geek myself, I am aware that the vast majority of jobs are general engineering jobs rather than specific to the nuclear industry.
'I would hope there would be significant opportunities for the workforce to retrain or direct their skillset – and they have a huge skillset – especially if you look at the extent we have got renewable energy coming into the area as well, I would hope there is a bit of a crossover.
'Torness has to decommission, which will happen over a period of several years.'
Douglas Alexander (Labour), Lothian East MP, echoed Mr Hampshire's calls for further consideration to be given for new nuclear facilities in Scotland.
Douglas Alexander, Lothian East MP (Image: UK Parliament)
He said: 'Clearly, Torness has been a significant local employer, providing many hundreds of skilled jobs and apprenticeships for people in Dunbar and the wider area since 1988.
'It also supports further jobs and the local economy through its supply chain and use of contract workers.
'As it approaches the end of its lifetime, many staff at Torness will be involved in the process of defuelling and decommissioning the plant, which will take several years.
'EDF has experience of this at other sites, including Hunterston B, and I'm sure it will be working with trade unions and other partners to support staff through the various phases of its closure in the coming years.
'However, I also hope to see a change in the Scottish Government's current block on new nuclear projects in Scotland to allow for the possibility of the Torness site having a longer-term future in providing skilled jobs and generating clean, consistent nuclear power.'
Paul McLennan, East Lothian MSP, is looking for a focus on the renewables sector (Image: Jane Barlow/PA Wire)
However, Paul McLennan (SNP), East Lothian's MSP, stressed that the Scottish Government would focus on renewable energy, rather than nuclear power.
He said: 'The SNP think the investment is much better placed in areas of renewable energy, which is cheaper to produce and is also cheaper for consumers.
'I am aware of figures around 450-500 staff being employed at Torness, in addition to contractors.
'In 2021, when I was elected, I set up the East Lothian Energy Forum meeting with renewable energy providers and local companies looking to benefit from the growth of renewables, such as Sunamp and HadFab in East Lothian amongst others who have seen an increase in their employment.
'I meet with Torness station manager Paul Forrest on a regular basis as we move towards 2030.
'Paul managed the process of closing Hunterston, which was managed very well.
'We discuss the role of EDF, enterprise agencies and Scottish Government in that process.
'Torness are also part of the East Lothian Energy Forum.
'EDF also has a renewables division, where with them, EDF and others, we are looking at the opportunities for hydrogen in East Lothian.'
A spokesperson for EDF pointed to what happened at Hunterston B in Ayrshire as it approached the end of its life.
They said: 'During defueling at Hunterston B, people were trained to take on project management roles, which the station needs more of now.
'People have also been supported to gain additional qualifications in HGV driving or electrical skills which are needed on site during defueling but can also be used to build a career outside of the nuclear industry.
'Now Hunterston B is getting ready to transfer to Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS), there are further opportunities for retraining to take on jobs the station will need during decommissioning like health physicists and waste technicians.
'We expect to see the same kinds of opportunities at Torness when it reaches this stage.'