Designs for a new nuclear power station close to the site of a former plant in Essex have been revealed. The reactor and buildings – designed by EDF and China General Nuclear (CGN) – could be built at Bradwell-on-Sea. Planners are now set to consider environmental and safety issues, but any full approval for the site is expected to take at least four years. It could power up to one million homes but campaigners oppose it on “health, environment and safety” grounds. The design for the new “Bradwell B” reactor has passed the first step of a four-step process, and will be assessed by UK nuclear regulators. But the Blackwater Against New Nuclear Group has warned about “the risks and dangers of radioactivity” posed by its construction and operation.
BBC 17th Nov 2017 read more »
The UK’s Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency said in a joint statement Thursday that they had started generic design assessment work on the Chinese UK HPR1000 nuclear reactor, also known as the Hualong One. ONR and the Environment Agency said that they will interact on the assessment with General Nuclear System Ltd (GNS), a UK joint venture company owned by China General Nuclear Power Corp (CGN) and France’s EDF. CGN and EDF plan to build a two-reactor nuclear plant at Bradwell in Essex using the HPR1000 technology. CGN will own 66.5% in the proposed Bradwell plant and CGN will own 33.5%. The start of the reactor assessment process follows preparatory work by GNS and the regulators. ONR and the Environment Agency noted in the statement that the GDA process “allows the regulators to begin assessing the safety, security and environmental aspects of new reactor designs before site-specific proposals are brought forward.” The two regulators also noted in the statement that “GNS will be launching a comments process, which enables anyone to submit comments and questions about the reactor design to the company for their response.”
Platts 17th Nov 2017 read more »
The Engineer 17th Nov 2017 read more »
