For several years, the district’s MP, Damian Collins (Con) has been a champion of installing Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) at Dungeness, on Romney Marsh, which has been home to two nuclear power stations for decades. Neither are currently producing power.
SMRs are a proposed class of fission reactors, which are physically smaller and faster to construct than conventional nuclear reactors.
Mr Collins said: “The site is ideal for investors because it already has the necessary workforce and infrastructure and can help deliver the Government’s ambition for 25% of the UK’s electricity to be generated by nuclear energy by 2050.”
But Green party national policy is that “nuclear power, coal and incineration of waste will be phased out”.
Now, new FHDC leader Cllr Jim Martin (Green) has spoken out on his stance on the potential future uses of Dungeness including his worries around nuclear safety and disposal of nuclear waste, which remains radioactive for millenia.
He said: “Anyone who says ‘Oh I’m not concerned about nuclear power’ doesn’t fully appreciate what they’re saying because it has got significant downsides. Me personally, as a person, Jim Martin, I am not in favour of nuclear power generation because of the risk and because of the waste.
“I would much prefer the emphasis to be on renewable power generation and also on renewable energy jobs – wind, solar, insulating our homes etc, but that’s not the government’s view.”
He added that because all the infrastructure for nuclear power already exists on the Marsh, then “if the government is going to have 10 SMRs around the country, then Dungeness is a good place”.
Cllr Martin continued: “If this was Boris Johnson granting a licence for a coal mine or this was a fracking site I would be the first person out there forming the human chain, but this is much more nuanced. Nuclear generation is carbon free generation, carbon is the big enemy.”
Other FHDC Green councillors have similar positions on the issue. “As a party we don’t support new nuclear, we’d be looking in the longer term to phase it out,” said Cllr Jeremy Speakman, cabinet member for assets and operations.
“Speaking personally, I wouldn’t want to speak for colleagues, I’m keeping a very open mind on all of this. I’m very conscious there are jobs to be had there, we need to get to net zero,” he said, adding that he would like more exploration of solar, tidal and wind energy as alternatives.
Cllr Stephen Scoffham, cabinet member for climate, added: “In principle I’m in favour of renewable energy and that’s an important principle. There are ambiguities around nuclear energy – it’s not renewable in many senses but it’s in a different category to coal and gas because it isn’t producing fossil fuel emissions. I would need a lot of convincing that nuclear was a good option.”
He added that he recognises the economic importance of the industry to people on the Marsh, and that the local history of nuclear power complicates the issue. He added: “If it was a proposal for a new nuclear facility that would be much sharper, more clear cut.”
In July, government body Great British Nuclear began a competition where companies developing nuclear technology such as SMRs can register interest to secure government support. EDF, the French energy giant which runs Dungeness B, say they’re interested in the possibilities.
An EDF spokesman said: “We welcome discussions around potential future development opportunities for the area we own on the Dungeness Estate. As custodian of land around the site, EDF is happy to engage with any project looking to develop the site in support of the UK’s net zero ambitions.
“At the same time, we remain focussed on delivering the exciting and vital projects at Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C, as our part of efforts to help Britain towards net zero.”
In April, Andrew Bowie MP, the government’s nuclear minister, visited Dungeness B and confirmed discussions over a possible future use for the site are ongoing at a government level.
He said: “I have been really impressed by such an engaged, enthused and upbeat workforce, and an entire community that is so focused on what comes next here. This is a moment that we need to grasp.
“For the first time in about 30 or 40 years nuclear energy is seen as a net positive. Plans for SMRs are proceeding and we will be announcing more details soon.”
EDF put Dungeness B power station into the defuelling stage in June 2021, and Dungeness A was decommissioned in 2006, in a process which will take decades overall.
