Blow to British Energy's hopes of managing nuclear plants

[Aurora]

http://news.independent.co.uk/business/ ... 744853.ece

The Independent - 08/07/07

British Energy could be forced to give up some of its reactor sites, denting its ambitions to host all of the UK's next generation of nuclear power stations.

The nuclear generator has been in talks with European energy groups EDF, RWE and E.ON about forming a consortium to build the new reactors, which will be on existing sites.

British Energy - part-owned by the Government - wants to sell its sites or exchange them for involvement in a consortium. But it has emerged that the Government could take back ownership of the company's oldest reactors. This could complicate British Energy's negotiations with potential partners if it cannot guarantee that it will retain all its sites.

If, as expected, the Government sanctions a new generation of reactors, up to eight could be built on four separate sites. British Energy already has eight reactor sites in the UK, but two are in Scotland where politicians are likely to veto new construction.

Of the remaining six British Energy sites, which include Sizewell B, three are scheduled to be decommissioned by 2014. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), set up by the Government to take ownership of the Magnox reactor sites and facilities belonging to the UK Atomic Energy Authority, is likely to take over British Energy's decommissioned reactor sites.

The Government has not decided whether the company will be allowed to retain the land surrounding its closed plants for new reactors. A Government spokes-man said: "This is speculation about something which hasn't been decided yet." But a spokesman for British Energy said: "The land around the reactor stays with British Energy."

Ian Roxburgh, the NDA's chief executive, recently caused controversy in the ?70bn decommissioning market. Last month, he told companies interested in bidding for the clean-up work that whoever won the largest contract - for Sellafield - could only have a minority stake in others.

The NDA later said: "Dr Roxburgh's comments [are] an expression of his ... desire to have only the best teams from competing contractors on our sites. We would need to be convinced that anyone who wins the Sellafield PBO [parent body organisation] has sufficient strength in depth if competing for future NDA competitions."

[GD]

I've heard rumours of the Anglesey plant being replaced by two.