CAMMELL Laird's ambitions to enter the nuclear industry have taken a step forward with plans for a manufacturing research centre that could create hundreds of jobs at the Birkenhead shipyard.

The facility will allow engineers to design and produce component parts for possible installation at the country's new generation of nuclear power stations. 

The development was announced during a meeting of the Nuclear Industry Association's new build group at Cammell Laird, in front of an audience of more than 100 senior executives.

Laird's energy division managing director Jonathan Brown said: "We are hugely excited to announce this new venture with the Nuclear AMRC which will also see Cammell Laird become a Tier One member of the Nuclear AMRC.

"The development centre will thrust Cammell Laird forward as the leading UK industrial manufacturer developing expertise in off-site module build in partnership with a high value manufacturing catapult.

"We are looking to researching a wide range of areas supporting the assembly, commissioning and transportation of modules of up to 5000 tonnes, where Cammell Laird benefits from its coastal location.

"We will also target the export market through a strategy built on working with partners and countries around the world, focussed on the exploitation of the benefits of modular construction".   

Andrew Storer, managing director of Nuclear AMRC, said: "Our new facility in Birkenhead will focus on developing modular manufacturing methods for new reactors of all sizes, drawing on Cammell Laird's expertise in modular shipbuilding and a host of innovative technologies to significantly reduce costs and lead times for nuclear new build.

"It also gives us a base in the North West, the core region for the UK's nuclear industry, allowing us to work more closely with the regional supply chain and the development sites in Cumbria and North Wales.

"We look forward to working with Cammell Laird and other module manufacturers to develop new technical capabilities and help them compete globally on cost, quality and delivery".