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EDF pledges four UK nuclear sites
Robert Lea, Evening Standard8 Oct 2007
French power giant EDF has promised it will deliver Britain's first new nuclear power station in more than a decade by 2017 and have a total of four built by 2025.
However, EDF, which is also London's main energy provider, warned it can only deliver the multibillion-pound investment if Gordon Brown's Government pledges to take the lead in building all-party political consensus on nuclear, and to work harder at increasing the support of public opinion.
Just two days before the end of the Government's consultation in its latest Energy Review in which it promised finally to make a decision on new nuclear build, EDF, which is France's main electricity provider with dozens of nuclear power stations, has put itself at the heart of the UK energy debate.
In the most detailed response of any of the international power players jockeying for position to run Britain's new nuclear, EDF's UK chief executive Vincent de Rivaz said: "The first new nuclear power stations can be commissioned by the end of 2017." EDF argues: "The presumption in the Energy White Paper that new nuclear is unlikely to make a significant contribution until 2020 is unduly conservative.
"The facilitative actions proposed in the consultation document should be completed fast enough to allow this date to be significantly brought forward. We believe that new nuclear can be online in the UK by 2017.
"Our proposed timetables are consistent with allowing the public to be fully consulted at all relevant stages. We are looking at the possibility of building four new power plants in the UK on our own or in partnership with others before 2025."
It is understood EDF has already looked at potential sites.
But de Rivaz also gave a stark warning that EDF will not go ahead with its plans unless the Prime Minister delivers "facilitative actions": that Brown can achieve broad support so that the building of new nuclear is not constrained either by public demonstrations, dissent at the planning stage or spooking financial investors.
De Rivaz called for "continuous coordination and consistency of attention". He continued: "Only through completion and co-ordination by Government of all facilitative actions can project progress be maintained in a timely way which is so necessary for private investors.
"We would expect Government to show strong leadership and also expect to see the steady strengthening of political support for the new nuclear option.
"This will need to be as far as possible across all political parties and represent a widening consensus that this is the right option to follow.
About a fifth of Britain's electricity is provided by nuclear power stations run by British Energy.
However, the vast majority of the nuclear fleet is approaching the age at which it needs to be renewed and several are showing signs they will not be able to run at full capacity in the future.
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For further information on the Government's nuclear energy plans:
www.dti.gov.uk/energy/whitepaper/
and the response by EDF:
www.edfenergy.com/core/downloads/edfenergy-nuclear-consultation-response.pdf
Reader views (1)
"de Rivaz gave a stark warning that EDF will not go ahead with its plans unless the Prime Minister delivers "facilitative actions": that Brown can achieve broad support so that the building of new nuclear is not constrained either by public demonstrations, dissent at the planning stage or spooking financial investors."
It is this total disregard for the democratic process that gives Electricite de France the stinking reputation it so richly deserves!
- John, Hackney, London, UK, 09/10/2007 07:47
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