EDF Energy has moved to reassure contractors that questions over the safety of the nuclear reactor it plans to roll out in the UK have been addressed.
Concerns were being raised by construction firms who feared potential problems with Areva’s designs could significantly delay the building of new UK plants.
But EDF told Construction News there would be “no delay”.
The good news came as influential business group CBI put further pressure on the Government to move its focus onto nuclear plans.
The CBI has criticised the Government’s energy policy, describing it as “disjointed” and claiming it is targeted too much at wind power while under-investing in nuclear and clean coal.
Deputy director-general John Cridland indicated the Government’s whole nuclear new build programme could suffer setbacks if it did not drive plans forward, claiming, “We urgently need the national planning statements needed to build new nuclear plants.”
Fears over potential delays to EDF’s plans arose afterit was reported that the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate had raised concerns over the reactor designs.
But EDF this week confirmed it was well on top of the queries from the Health and Safety Executive’s nuclear arm, which it received back in April.
A spokeswoman said: “EDF shares a common objective with the regulators to ensure the EPR design is safe and our aim is to meet all of the regulatory requirements so that it can be built safely in the UK.
“We are confident these matters will be resolved to the satisfaction of all parties, leading to even better understanding of the EPR and to a safe power station.”
The French-designed EPR is the world’s most powerful nuclear reactor. EDF wants to build four reactors in Britain at two sites, Hinkley Point in Somerset and Sizewell in Suffolk.
EDF is expected to issue tenders for the £100 million enabling works and £500m civils package for Hinkley Point in August and plans to award the contracts in autumn 2010.
But EDF told Construction News there would be “no delay”.
The good news came as influential business group CBI put further pressure on the Government to move its focus onto nuclear plans.
The CBI has criticised the Government’s energy policy, describing it as “disjointed” and claiming it is targeted too much at wind power while under-investing in nuclear and clean coal.
Deputy director-general John Cridland indicated the Government’s whole nuclear new build programme could suffer setbacks if it did not drive plans forward, claiming, “We urgently need the national planning statements needed to build new nuclear plants.”
Fears over potential delays to EDF’s plans arose afterit was reported that the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate had raised concerns over the reactor designs.
But EDF this week confirmed it was well on top of the queries from the Health and Safety Executive’s nuclear arm, which it received back in April.
A spokeswoman said: “EDF shares a common objective with the regulators to ensure the EPR design is safe and our aim is to meet all of the regulatory requirements so that it can be built safely in the UK.
“We are confident these matters will be resolved to the satisfaction of all parties, leading to even better understanding of the EPR and to a safe power station.”
The French-designed EPR is the world’s most powerful nuclear reactor. EDF wants to build four reactors in Britain at two sites, Hinkley Point in Somerset and Sizewell in Suffolk.
EDF is expected to issue tenders for the £100 million enabling works and £500m civils package for Hinkley Point in August and plans to award the contracts in autumn 2010.
Source: Construction News
No comments:
Post a Comment