UK’s new nuclear plants – future indefinite

New UK nuclear stations unlikely to be on time

BBC Newsnight 25 Nov 09 By Meirion Jones A Newsnight investigation suggests that UK government plans to build a new generation of nuclear power stations to fill the energy gap by 2020 are wildly optimistic.The British nuclear regulator has told Newsnight that he would not hesitate to halt construction if problems emerged and that no British nuclear power station had ever been built on time.

The first of the new generation of reactors in Britain will be at Hinkley Point in Somerset, and will be a replica of the new Evolutionary Power Reactor (EPR) reactor currently being built in Finland by the French company, Areva.The Finnish EPR at Olkiluoto was supposed to be the first “third generation” reactor – safe, affordable, and designed for mass production.

The reactor is three years behind schedule and billions of pounds over budget after more than 3,000 mistakes were made by the builders.The Finnish nuclear regulator has also halted construction on at least a dozen occasions due to safety concerns…………….All these mistakes occurred in the construction of the Finnish reactor, just a few of the 3,000 errors detected so far. Correcting them has caused months of delays…………….Areva was so confident about the EPR that they agreed to build the reactor in Finland with a fixed delivery date of May 2009, and for a fixed price.

The earliest the reactor is now expected to come on line is 2012 and it is 3bn euros (£2.71bn) over budget.

Areva have threatened to abandon the reactor partially built unless they are given more cash.

BBC News – Newsnight – New UK nuclear stations unlikely to be on time

November 28, 2009 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, business and costs, UK | AREVA, EDF, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin