Irish entrepreneur wants to build a nuclear plant near Belfast

ByRod Adams

According to a Saturday, January 19, 2008 article on the Belfast Telegraph web site titled Nuclear power plan for Ulster Robert Andrews, the founder of Andronics, a satellite communications and location tracking company, has stated his interest in building a new nuclear power plant in Northern Ireland. However, that part of the UK was apparently excluded from the recent White Paper discussions about new nuclear power plants.

Mr. Andrews had this to say about his background and reasons for interest in a nuclear power project:

“I really believe this is the way forward. I come from an engineering background and I’m a firm believer in renewable energy but at the current levels of supply from renewable sources supply is not secured.

“Aside from generating the power for central heating the excess electricity created could be used to power electric cars which would help the move away from fossil fuels, which would help the environment.”

The former NIE employee calculates that 3,000 temporary jobs would be created during the construction of the plant while there would be 600 full-time jobs during its lifespan and every 18 months 1,500 workers would be required to service the generator.

He said: “I have been an electronic engineer for 40 years working in radar systems and for a time with NIE so I have a good understanding of distribution and generators.

So much for Amory Lovins and his continuing assertion that private enterprise is not interested in atomic fission power generation.

Rod Adams
Rod Adams

Rod Adams is Managing Partner of Nucleation Capital, a venture fund that invests in advanced nuclear, which provides affordable access to this clean energy sector to pronuclear and impact investors. Rod, a former submarine Engineer Officer and founder of Adams Atomic Engines, Inc., which was one of the earliest advanced nuclear ventures, is an atomic energy expert with small nuclear plant operating and design experience. He has engaged in technical, strategic, political, historic and financial analysis of the nuclear industry, its technology, regulation, and policies for several decades through Atomic Insights, both as its primary blogger and as host of The Atomic Show Podcast. Please click here to subscribe to the Atomic Show RSS feed. To join Rod's pronuclear network and receive his occasional newsletter, click here.

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