The nuclear power industry contributed £1 billion to Scotland’s economy last year and supports more than 12,000 jobs, according to a new report. Research by experts at Oxford Economics, carried out for the Nuclear Industry Association (NIA), examined the contribution the country’s two nuclear power stations made to the economy, along with that of other companies involved in supplying them. More than 4,000 people are directly employed in the sector, the research found, but when companies that supply the industry are also considered, the total rose to more than 12,000. Scotland has two nuclear power stations in operation – Hunterston B in North Ayrshire and Torness in East Lothian – but companies north of the border are also involved in supplying the new Hinkley Point C project and in decommissioning work a t the Dounreay station in the Highlands. The Scottish Government is opposed to the development of new nuclear power stations and both Hunterston B and Torness are due to close in the period up to 2030. Mr Greatrex added: “Not only will this economic benefit be lost but the progress made on reducing emissions – which in 2016 was the equivalent of taking almost all the cars off roads in Scotland – will be lost.”
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