Gloucestershire on the brink of becoming nuclear hub

Thousands of new jobs could be created in Gloucestershire as the county is set to become a new nuclear hub.

Great British Nuclear (GBN) are looking at two former nuclear sites to be regenerated into the home of new small modular reactors (SMR).

The potential development of the disused Berkeley Green and Oldbury sites would bring in millions of pounds to the local economy.

GBN are currently looking at four prospective SMR vendor companies to commission the project.

Ian Mean, who is on Gloucestershire County Council’s board of economic health said, “a lot of the work on nuclear power was started in the very early 60’s at Oldbury and Berkeley so there’s a lot of expertise here”.

In an interview between Mean and GBN chair Simon Bowen, Bowen told Mean: “This is still very much in the planning stage. I have made no secret of the fact that I think Oldbury is an absolute prime site for SMRs.”

More updates on the result of the SMR vendor selection process are expected to come in spring.

GBN say when they have appointed both the SMR vendors, and the delivery partners, recruitment will start to ramp up through the second half of the year and into 2026-27.

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