On 17 February 2012, the UK and France signed, in Paris, a landmark joint declaration paving the way for the construction of a new generation of power plants in the UK. Deals that have been signed between British and French companies that are worth more than £500 million (approx. €600 million) will allow work to start on the construction of new nuclear facilities. These facilities will lead to the creation of more than 1,500 jobs.

The deals include a £100 million (approx. €120 million) contract for a consortium to prepare the Hinkley Point C nuclear site, in Somerset (West of England), for the construction of two European Pressurised Water Reactors (EPRs); a deal with Rolls Royce for the manufacture of key components that could be worth potentially up to £400 million (approx. €480 million) and a deal worth £15 million (approx. €18 million) for the building of a training campus at Bridgewater (also in Somerset), where the next generation of nuclear workers will be trained

EDF Energy, based in France, plans to construct the two EPRs to the west of the existing Hinkley Point B nuclear plant, where another two units are already in commercial operation.

The British Prime Minister, David Cameron, who was in Paris to sign the deal with French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, said the agreements were “just the beginning” of an investment programme that the UK government says could be worth £60 billion (approx. €72 million) and could eventually create 30,000 jobs. The UK government added that the joint declaration signals its “…shared commitment to the future of civil nuclear power, setting out a shared long term vision of safe, secure, sustainable and affordable energy, that supports growth and helps to deliver our emission reductions targets”.

The two governments will work together with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) “to strengthen international capability to react to nuclear emergencies and establish a joint framework for cooperation and exchanging good practice on civil nuclear security”.

Source: NucNet