Nuclear Today UK’s Promising Future with Change of Nuclear Fortune

John Shepherd, London/United Kingdom

In the Japanese culture the number eight tions jigsaw puzzle that had to fall careful- out that a large chunk of England’s elec- is considered to be lucky by some, and ly into place… At that time, Mr Blair’s own tricity needs are piped under the sea cour- well it might be. Apparently, this is related political party was not ready to warmly tesy of French nuclear power. It’s ironic to the character for eight in Kanji, which is embrace nuclear. In fact, just three years’ that this very welcome source of supply said to denote success. earlier, an energy White Paper published might be helping to power the UK’s own Whether or not you are superstitious, it is by Mr Blair’s government downplayed the nuclear revival! interesting to note that the number eight potential future role for nuclear. But the facts speak for themselves. As is clearly fortuitous for Japan’s Toshiba Meanwhile, the UK’s then opposition the new year ‘warms up’, the UK is clearly Corporation. Conservative Party – under its newly-elect- a hot prospect for nuclear power and In January 2014, Toshiba became the ed leader David Cameron – published a re- promises an interesting technology mix. latest overseas company to set its sights on view saying that new nuclear should only In addition to the AP1000s proposed building new nuclear reactor units in the be built as a “last resort”. Mr Cameron was for Moorside, EDF Energy is leading a con- UK – announcing that it had secured criticised for not being clear about his par- sortium to build two EPRs at Hinkley Point agreements to see it take a majority 60 ty’s position on nuclear. It was not until C in Somerset (with Chinese minority percent stake in NuGeneration Limited 2007 that he told British business leaders shareholders). EDF Energy is also propos- (NuGen). that the Conservatives would ensure the ing up to two EPRs for Sizewell, in Suffolk. Toshiba’s announcement was made al- nuclear industry had “a level playing In addition, a total of four Hitachi-GE Nu- most eight years to the day (6 February field” on which to make its case if the par- clear Energy advanced boiling water reac- 2006) that the corporation signed a de- ty came to power. tors (ABWRs) have been proposed for finitive agreement to buy Westinghouse, What a difference eight years makes… construction at sites in England and Wales which was then the US-based subsidiary Mr Cameron – now prime minister – led by Horizon Nuclear Power – the UK compa- of British Nuclear Fuel Limited (BNFL). a major trade delegation to China towards ny acquired by Hitachi in 2012. Toshiba is looking to build three of the end of 2013 after giving the go-ahead That makes a total of 11 new units Westinghouse Electric Company’s AP1000 for Chinese companies to take stakes (in- planned or proposed in the UK to date. It reactor units at NuGen’s proposed Moor- cluding potential future majority stakes) is tempting to speculate further and see if side nuclear plant site in northwest Eng- in developing a new generation of nuclear that number has any particular relevance. land. plants in Britain. However, I do not need any special powers The fact that Toshiba is now set to build Mr Cameron’s partners in the UK’s coa- to sense that all of you very intelligent a new generation of nuclear power plants lition government, the Liberal Democrats, readers, who have (hopefully) read this in Britain, through Westinghouse, is excit- finally overturned their party’s opposition far, would rather deal in the realities and ing news in its own right. But equally in- to nuclear power towards the end of 2013. practicalities of our nuclear energy indus- teresting is the amazing transformation But this was more than one year after Lib- try. Quite right too! that the UK has seen across the social, po- eral Democrat Ed Davey became the UK’s Whatever the future holds for nuclear litical and industrial landscape over the secretary of state for energy and climate in the UK, there is a long road ahead. Pub- past eight years. change – and a champion of the nuclear lic acceptability can be fickle and easily The picture was very different in 2006. programme. Mr Davey admitted that he lost. So I think it’s appropriate to end with Then, there was only a faint glimmer of had dropped his opposition to nuclear these words from a senior UK government hope in reviving the country’s nuclear en- power some time before because of the minister, who told a supply chain confer- ergy industry under the then Labour need to tackle climate change. ence recently: “You have an obligation to prime minister Tony Blair. Arguably, the UK is now at the fore- ensure that nothing you do in any of your I remember writing an article in 2006 front of the nuclear renaissance in Europe operations has a detrimental effect on the about how Mr Blair was gently leading – possibly eclipsing France. Although trust that has been placed in you and the public opinion in the country to consider France’s Flamanville-3 European pressur- UK nuclear industry.” nuclear afresh. He was given a boost ised water reactor project (EPR) continues when, in the same year, a government en- apace, President Hollande has made clear ergy policy review concluded that a new his preference for a greater national reli- fleet of nuclear power plants would be ance on renewables. ______needed as an essential part of the coun- It is probably mischievous of me as an John Shepherd is a communications con- try’s long-term energy mix. Englishman (a former German colleague sultant and editor-in-chief of the inde- But even that energy review was only used to jokingly refer to me as ‘one of pendent nuclear news network, nuclear24 one piece of a political and public rela- those crazy guys from the Island’) to point (www.nuclear24.com) 

atw Vol. 59 (2014) Issue 2 | February 73