UK Gives Go-ahead for 10 Nuclear Power Stations

November 20th, 2009

The government has approved 10 sites in England and Wales for new nuclear power stations, most of them in locations where there are already plants. It has rejected only one proposed site - in Dungeness, Kent - as being unsuitable on environmental grounds.

A new planning commission will make decisions on the proposals “within a year” of receiving them, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband told MPs.

Nuclear was a “proven and reliable” energy source, he said.
Every one of the measures contained in this statement should have been brought forward ten years ago

Greg Clark, shadow energy secretary

Greenpeace said the “figures did not add up” for new nuclear plants to be built without public subsidies.

“You can’t justify building more nuclear power stations when there is no solution to radioactive waste and when international regulators are saying there are huge uncertainties surrounding the basic safety of new reactor designs,” said the organization’s Ben Ayliffe.
To read the article in full, which appeared on the BBC World News recently, please click here.

So, it now appears that the UK are at first base in this process of building new plants. However there is still a long way to go before we will hear the news that ground has been broken at the first site.

The question of payment for the contractors, government incentives and guarantees have yet to be negotiated and as it is election year its a case of don’t hold your breath, but it is a step forward.