The consortium of companies developing a compact nuclear power station has appointed Tom Samson as its interim chief executive.
The move comes as current programme director, David Orr, retires at the end of April.
Tom Samson, the former CEO of NuGeneration Ltd and most recently the founder and CEO of Guardian Power, has joined the team immediately.
Paul Stein, Chief Technology Officer for Rolls-Royce, which leads the consortium, said: “Tom has an excellent pedigree in major project delivery and we’re delighted we’ve been able to bring his skills and experience to this game-changing low carbon power programme.”
Tom Samson, said: “This consortium is playing a vital role in our future energy landscape and has both the collaborative spirit and the technological innovation to provide the UK with a home-grown response to the global challenges of climate change.
“I look forward to collaborating with our industrial partners and the UK Government on delivering this world-class clean energy program for the UK and beyond.”
The consortium which is developing the power station comprises Assystem, Atkins, BAM Nuttall, Jacobs, Laing O’Rourke, National Nuclear Laboratory, Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, Rolls-Royce and TWI.
The power station is a compact design, the components for which would be manufactured in sections in regional UK factories, before being transported to existing nuclear sites for rapid assembly inside a weatherproof canopy. This cuts costs by avoiding weather disruptions and secures efficiency savings by using streamlined and standardised manufacturing processes for its components.
By 2050 a full UK programme of up to 16 of these power stations could create:
- Up to 40,000 jobs
- £52bn of value to the UK economy
- £250bn of exports
Each power station will be able to operate for 60 years and provide 440MW of electricity, which is enough to power a city the size of Leeds.