New nuclear to get 'maximum support'

Thursday, 18 September 2008

Nuclear power is a 'no-brainer' energy source that is indispensible, good for jobs, the economy as well as the environment, according to the UK government. The words came as plans for decommissioning and waste were meant to be announced.

 

Business and enterprise minister John Hutton today 'pledged his maximum support' for new nuclear build in the UK. At the first meeting of the new Nuclear Development Forum, to be chaired by Hutton and his successors, the minister declared that new nuclear generation is crucial to the UK's future energy supply and to the reduction of carbon emissions.

 

To "enable operators to build and operate new nuclear power stations in the UK from the earliest possible date and to enable new nuclear to make the fullest contribution it is capable of, with no public subsidy, and with unnecessary obstacles removed."   The new Office of Nuclear Development's primary aim

"I'm determined to press all the buttons to get nuclear built in this country at the earliest opportunity - not only because it's a no-brainer for our energy security but also because it's good for jobs and our economy."

 

Hutton's department said the new forum would bring together the key players from government and industry and will work with the supply chain, operators and vendors to develop capability where needed.

 

Also today the Office for Nuclear Development (OND) was established with the express aim to "enable operators to build and operate new nuclear power stations in the UK from the earliest possible date and to enable new nuclear to make the fullest contribution it is capable of, with no public subsidy, and with unnecessary obstacles removed."

 

The OND is also meant to make the UK "the best market in the world for companies to do business in nuclear power." Hutton today focused on the possibilities for UK industry in realizing the nuclear renaissance – including the £20 billion ($36 billion) of private sector investment he expects and the 100,000 jobs that could be created. 

 

The clutch of nuclear publicity and announcements was also slated to contain the government's response to public consultation on the Funded Decommissioning Programme guidance - a plan to ensure that clean-up and waste management of new nuclear power plants would be paid for by the commercial companies that built them, not by the taxpayer. This, however, failed to materialise by the end of the London working day.