UK eyes nuclear overhaul despite concerns

Britain is pressing ahead with an overhaul of its ageing nuclear plants despite trouble at home with the French firms leading the drive and doubts after the Fukushima disaster, officials said on Thursday.

Several energy companies — none of them British — have lined up to build at least 10 new reactors in a scramble that critics say will end up severely delayed and costing much more than planned.

A plan led by French electricity giant EDF for two reactors at the Hinkley Point plant in southwest England is the most advanced, having already received approval from the European Commission.

A final decision is expected in the first quarter of next year and the reactors are planned to be switched on by 2023, although EDF is still in talks with its partners over stakes in the consortium.

Delays and cost overruns at EDF’s Flamanville plant in northwest France have added to concerns for Hinkley Point, along with financial woes for French nuclear firm Areva, another project partner.

This comes despite warnings by critics against London’s nuclear overhaul plans. Key points of critics’ warnings are:

• Pressurized water EPR reactors like the ones UK plans to build are financially risky.

• Even if the UK builds all 10 reactors the government is talking about, nuclear will only take about 30 percent of electricity.

• UK faces a lack of facilities for testing nuclear equipment. So companies could struggle to meet the high standards required for a nuclear safety culture as well as product quality and skills.

• New nuclear projects will create a capacity crunch because the British supply chain would struggle to cope with an upsurge in work from other new build projects as well as existing contracts to keep reactors running or for decommissioning the old ones.