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UK business organisation calls for six more nuclear power stations

The UK business organisation the CBI is renewing its calls for the country to build at least six new nuclear power stations by 2030 in order to meet climate change targets and energy demand.

The CBI report, Forging a Nuclear Renaissance: Making new nuclear a reality, says that 16 GW of new nuclear power is needed to shift the UK to a low-carbon economy.

This new nuclear capacity, which equates to 10-12 new reactors at 6-10 plants on existing sites, will need support from Government policy. The private sector will not be able to build the new infrastructure unaided, says the CBI.

According to the organisation, existing Government policy is subsidising investment in renewable energy at the expense of nuclear power, which is a more cost-effective low-carbon energy source.

“With most existing nuclear plants due to close within ten years, we urgently need new reactors to come on stream,” says the CBI’s director of business environment, Neil Bentley.

The CBI says that the Government’s planned National Policy Statements on nuclear power should be published as soon as possible, identifying potential sites for new reactors. The new Infrastructure Planning Commission, which is charged with handling major infrastructure projects such as new power stations, should speed up the process so that investment in new nuclear plants can move ahead.

The report also acknowledges that the Government needs to address the issue of dealing with long-term nuclear waste, as well as public opinion – particularly in those areas where new nuclear reactors could be sited.

For further information:
www.cbi.org.uk/
www.cbi.org.uk/ndbs/press.nsf/0363c1f07c6ca12a8025671c00381cc7/1abb7ca40ffa11f28025765600479658/$FILE/CBI%20-%20Nuclear%20Renaissance%20Oct%2009.pdf

22 October 2009

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