E.ON 'Keen' to Take Leading Nuclear Role in UK

E.ON UK has confirmed it intends to take a leading role in the next generation of nuclear power stations as part of a diverse, lower carbon energy mix.

The company will also be supporting Westinghouse and Areva nuclear designs through pre-licensing in the UK and is in discussions with GE Energy over its designs.

Dr Paul Golby, Chief Executive of E.ON UK, made the announcement at Tuesday's Annual Meeting on Nuclear Technology 2007, the day before the Energy White Paper.

E.ON is also confident that, as part of the White Paper, the Government will announce details of a full public consultation process before making a decision on the next generation of nuclear build.

"Going forward, we have to ensure that we can cut our carbon emissions while also ensuring security of supply through a diversity of energy sources and that means we need nuclear power," said Dr Golby.

"It's vital that the Government ensures a full and genuine airing of views about nuclear in the UK but it's also vital that we as a company move the process on.

"Subject to the result of this consultation, E.ON is keen to take a leading role in the development of a next generation nuclear programme and that is why we are supporting reactor designs by Westinghouse and Areva for pre-licensing and are also in discussions with GE Energy.

"We believe that private companies will be able to fully fund the next generation nuclear build but it clearly requires sustained political and public support."

The Health & Safety Commission's decision to make a start on the first steps in the generic design assessment process was also welcomed by E.ON, as it helps keep the option open for nuclear power to contribute to filling the growing energy gap and to make a significant future contribution to reducing carbon emissions.

E.ON UK's future plans also include new gas- and coal-fired power stations, together with wind, biomass and marine projects across the country.

"This White Paper should not be all about nuclear and our plans are suitably diverse - to keep UK plc's lights on we need to look at all our options and not just at one," said Dr Golby.

"That means we need new gas stations, new cleaner coal stations, clean coal with CCS, renewables and nuclear, and we also need more energy efficiency and decentralised generation - smaller schemes that are locally sited for small numbers of homes or businesses.

"On carbon capture and storage, we firmly believe that such schemes need to be built with coal rather than gas in mind.

"Gas is already a cleaner fuel than coal and a demonstrable carbon capture scheme based on coal would be of immense value not only for security of supply in the UK but also for the rest of the world, where power generation from coal is on the increase.

"This is all about having options as we lower our carbon emissions while keeping the lights on and homes warm."

E.ON UK already has multi-billion investment plans for:

•   Two 1,300MW gas-fired power stations at the Isle of Grain in Kent and Drakelow
     in Derbyshire; and

•   A 1,600MW supercritical CCS-ready coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth in Kent;

•   Two major offshore wind farms at Robin Rigg in the Solway Firth (180MW) and, with
     partners, the London Array project in the approaches to the Thames (1,000MW).

The company is also in the final stages of the building the UK's largest dedicated biomass power station at Lockerbie, has a wind farm development portfolio of around 1,000MW and is looking at biomass and wave and tidal power schemes around the UK.

Find out more about
E.ON
E.ON UK
E.ON Renewables
Westinghouse
Areva

Search for more E.ON News

Posted 24/05/07

Back