South Gloucestershire and Stroud College (SGS) has sold the Gloucestershire Science and Technology Park to Chiltern Vital Berkeley (CVB), who have announced major plans for the site.
The 40-acre Gloucestershire Science and Technology Park was sold for £6.5 million to CVB, a wholly owned subsidiary of Chiltern Vital Group (CVG). CVB has announced its intention to create a low-carbon technology “super cluster” at the site, and develop it into a centre of excellence for nuclear power research and development (R&D).
The site was formerly one of the world’s first civil nuclear power stations, and was saved from demolition by SGS in 2016.
Several partners have been confirmed to be involved, including the University of Bristol, the National College for Nuclear, Berkeley Green University Technical College, and SGS.
Additionally, the site could become a development hub for small modular reactor (SMR) technology, or even the site of a new SMR. Rolls Royce SMR have been confirmed to be a partner of CVB in the super cluster initiative, and a statement from SGS claimed that “it is expected that Berkeley will be at the centre of new nuclear as we move forward.”
The site currently hosts an SGS University Technical College (UTC) that educates around 400 students; the deal states that the UTC will remain operational.
Kevin Hamblin, CEO of SGS said: “We are delighted that CVB can now invest in the site to support research, development and skills training around new nuclear, AI and low carbon businesses. With the close proximity to Great British Nuclear’s Oldbury site it will create a low carbon ‘super cluster’ over the next decade. CVB and their partners will bring significant new investment and work opportunities for the region; and for SGS it will mean the College plays a very prominent role to support the teaching of new skills for many years to come.”
In a post on LinkedIn, CVG CEO Chris Turner said he was “delighted” at the acquisition, which he said “promises transformational redevelopment”. He added: “I’m genuinely excited to see how Berkeley develops over the next decade and the positive impact that it will have on the local and national economy. This is another step in the right direction towards large-scale sustainable energy supply and UK energy sovereignty.”
In a separate comment, Turner thanked SGS for being “exceptional custodians of the park” and “maintaining its reputation as a centre of excellence for education and skills training”. He also noted: “Key to the regeneration of Berkeley will be the provision of nuclear-centric education and skills training. With news of the government’s SMR selection process expected shortly, Great British Nuclear has identified that the UK will need approximately 150,000 new nuclear-trained employees over the next decade.”
SMR development soars
There has been much focus on the new supercluster’s potential as a host for future SMR development, and recent months have seen several leaps forward for the UK’s SMR future.
Last month, Rolls-Royce SMR announced that its SMR design had passed the second round of regulatory approval and would now begin stage three of the Generic Design Assessment (GDA). The firm’s 470MWe SMR design will now enter the detailed assessment phase of the GDA, which could be completed as soon as 2026.
Meanwhile, the UK arm of energy technology company Holtech has passed the first stage of the GDA in record time, completing stage one in just ten months. Holtec is making major moves in the UK, including upcoming plans to build a heavy manufacturing plant to build future SMRs.
