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At a supply chain event for UK contractors yesterday, EDF ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß announced that it has awardedÌýover £50 million ($77 million) worth of contracts for the first nuclear power plant it plans to build in the UK.Ìý

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Together with its investment partner, Centrica, EDF ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß plans to build four Areva EPR reactors by 2025, two each at its Hinkley Point and Sizewell sites. The company expects the first unit, at Hinkley Point C, to be operating by 2018.

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Opening the New Nuclear Opportunities forum, Vincent de Rivaz, CEO of EDF ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß, said: "Already we have let 130 separate contracts to British companies with a total value in excess of £50 million." He added that there will be more than 150 major contracts to be tendered and "an even larger number of offers for subcontractors".

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However, de Rivaz said that the "increased commitment" being made by EDF ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß needed to be matched by government. In a recorded address to the meeting, energy and climate change minister the Conservative Charles HendryÌýsaid he sees it as his job to "remove the barriers to new nuclear."

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Further reassurance was provided by UK business secretary Vince Cable, part of the Liberal Democrat Party, who stated that there will be new nuclear plants on the condition that they will be built without public subsidy. Cable said that the coalition government has "a responsibility to maintain stability and continuity... which will enable new nuclear power to proceed."

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According to Cable, the UK nuclear industry generated £3.6 billion ($5.5 billion) in 2007/8, employing around 45,000 people and accounted for some £700 million ($1 billion) worth of exports. "If the industry plans are realized, he said, "we're going to get up to 16 GWe of new nuclear by 2025 - that's equating to £40 billion ($62 billion) of investment in new nuclear planned construction by energy companies, including £17.6 billion ($27.3 billion) by EDF."
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Researched and writtenÌý

by ¶¶Òõ´«Ã½ÔÚÏß Nuclear NewsÌý

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