Nuclear auctions raise £387M

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA)has sold three sites earmarked for new nuclear power stations raising £387M. Two have gone to an E.On/RWE joint venture and the third has gone to EDF.

Energy minister Mike O’Brien said the sites were at Bradwell in Essex, Oldbury in South Gloucestershire and Wylfa in Anglesey.
“The sale of these three sites is worth up to £387M which the NDA will use to offset the cost of decommissioning and to further its core mission. The successful outcome of the auction demonstrates that major energy companies are gearing up for significant investment in low carbon energy in the UK,” he said.

The successful bidders are :

• Bow Bidco Wylfa (EON UK/ RWE Npower) which has bought 178 ha of land at Wylfa ;
• Bow Bidco Oldbury (EON UK/RWE Npower) which has bought 48 hectares of land at Oldbury ;
• EDF Development Company, which has bought 200ha of land at Bradwell

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said: “The successful outcome of this site auction is yet more evidence of major energy players gearing up for investment in low carbon energy in the UK.
“Alongside EDF Energy’s firm plans, the RWE and E.ON joint venture plans announced today take the total declared plans for the first phase of nuclear power new build to 12.4 gigawatts, greater than our existing, but ageing, nuclear capacity.
“Nuclear power is low carbon, secure, affordable and will remain an important part of the UK’s electricity mix alongside renewables and cleaner fossil fuels.
“These benefits go hand in hand with substantial opportunity for British firms and skilled workers in the supply chain to capitalise on the shift to low carbon,” he said.

Source: The New Civil Engineer