SNP ministers should justify afresh their opposition to nuclear power
With “green jobs” for the “just transition” thin on the ground, ministers should set out why they oppose low-carbon alternative to oil and gas
It seems barely a week goes by without further alarm bells ringing over the “just transition” of jobs from the oil and gas industry to other sectors.
The creation of much-vaunted “green jobs” is failing to keep pace with the demise of the north east’s oil and gas sector in the pursuit of net zero, with devastating consequences for Scottish industry more generally.
Meanwhile, the SNP’s long-standing ideological objection to nuclear power seems increasingly unsustainable.
The Nuclear Industry Association today warns Scotland’s nuclear workforce has seen the smallest growth anywhere in the UK.
Scotland’s five per cent growth is in stark contrast to the 13 per cent in England, where the UK government is investing billions of pounds in the construction of Sizewell C power station in Suffolk and in Rolls Royce Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). The nuclear industry north of the Border is largely based on decommissioning, with Scotland’s last remaining power station, Torness in East Lothian, due to be retired in 2030.
As problems with cost and intermittency associated with wind and solar power become ever more apparent, ministers should be keeping an open mind on how to fill the gap left by oil and gas.
Following the announcement earlier this month that two British nuclear power stations - in Lancashire and Teesside - have been given one-year extensions, the chief executive of British Gas owner Centrica, Chris O’Shea, said: “The UK needs more reliable, affordable, zero-carbon electricity, so the extension of Heysham 1 and Hartlepool is great news. We believe in having a diversified energy system, with nuclear power playing a key role in ensuring stability and sustainability for decades to come.”
Nuclear is a safe and reliable energy source that could help secure a low-carbon, energy secure and prosperous future for Scotland.
It is high time SNP ministers reviewed the cases for and against nuclear power. If they decide to continue their opposition, they should be expected to present a compelling case for doing so to the electorate.
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