NUCLEAR technology company Urenco says it expects to continue its growth this year following a “challenging” 2011.

The uranium enrichment company, which employs more than 300 in Capenhurst, near Chester, said confidence in the nuclear sector had been hit in 2011 thanks to the Fukushima disaster in Japan and the German government’s decision to end its nuclear power programme.

But it said: “Although this has had an impact on our business, we remain confident of the nuclear industry’s future, as it is an important part of the energy mix, in a world with increasing demand for low carbon energy.”

Urenco said its processing capacity at the end of 2011 was up 12.3% on the previous year.  Last July, it announced plans to create a new processing facility in Capenhurst which it said could create 80 full-time jobs.

It added: “Urenco’s order book remains strong, with limited impact expected from the events in Japan.

“Currently, forward orders stand at more than 20bn euros and extend beyond 2025. This good visibility of future revenues successfully underpins Urenco’s strategy. We expect to see continued growth in 2012.”