Derbyshire has a long history of powering the UK, from the mills of the Derwent Valley to the northern coalfields that once fuelled British industry.
This week we begin a new chapter, to secure our long-term energy resilience.
The Labour government has signed a contract with Rolls-Royce to produce the UK’s first Small Modular Reactor (SMR). I attended this at No. 11 Downing Street along with fellow Derby MPs Catherine Atkinson and Baggy Shanker, Rolls-Royce CEO Tufan Erginbilgiç, and the Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
These advanced nuclear reactors are possible because of the skills and knowledge of people working in Derby, drawing upon decades of experience of developing the nuclear reactors for Britian’s submarines.
Supported by a £600 million National Wealth Fund investment, this development will cut bills in the long-term and create thousands of jobs now