Calls for Sellafield investment

The Government will decide on the plant's future

Union leaders have called for new investment at Sellafield in Cumbria as it faces an uncertain future.

Up to 2,000 jobs would be lost if the nuclear reprocessing plant was to close down, they have warned.

Gary Smith, national officer of the GMB union, said: "People need to know there is a future for this site as a nuclear facility, jobs are at risk."

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority said the future of the plant was under review, but no decision had been made.

Mr Smith said that �350m needed to be invested in Sellafield, which so far has cost the taxpayer �472m.

'Key focus'

Officials admitted that the plant, which manufactures new fuel from recycled plutonium and uranium, had not operated at the level it was expected to when it was opened a decade ago.

Recommendations will be made to the government, which will make any decisions about the plant's future.

A spokesman for Sellafield said the current policy was to operate the plant, adding: "The performance is reviewed on an annual basis by Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Sellafield Ltd has fully co-operated with this latest review.

"This review has not reached any firm conclusions and is progressing with a key focus on its current and forecasted performance. Any decision on it is one for government."

Nathan Argent, head of Greenpeace's energy solutions unit, said: "It's no wonder the nuclear industry has become notorious for making suspect financial claims and duping pliant ministers.

"For years we urged the government to treat the industry's predictions with the scepticism they deserved, but our pleas fell on deaf ears.

"Now we're seeing the whole sorry saga repeated with nuclear new-build."