I've had the occasional rumble in this blog about my belief that there is an urgent need for the UK to build its next generation of nuclear power stations as soon as possible. Things continue to grind slowly. Last month the Planning Inspectorate was able to announce that the inspection into EdF's Hinkley Point application had concluded - after having taken the full six months allowed. A decision on the application is due by 21 March 2013. So, progress of a sort.
There are also mutterings that EdF has sent a draft of its Statement of Community Consultation to the relevant local authorities with respect to its plans for Sizewell although I couldn't find anything on EdF's website. So, possibly progress here, too.
Meanwhile NuGen (Iberdrola and GDF Suez) is not due to make any meaningful decision over its Sellafield (quaintly named "Moorside") site until 2015.
And the real fly in the ointment is Horizon, which owns sites at Oldbury and Wylfa. EoN and RWE put Horizon up for sale a while ago and it appears that only two consortia have actually tabled bids: one led by Westinghouse and the other by Hitachi. Both Areva and Rosatom had been thought to be in the frame but declined to bid in the end.
It's a case of "Don't hold your breath", then. I guess with a following wind Hinkley could get on the bars before 2020, and just conceivably Sizewell, but I don't see any likelihood of any of the others meeting that sort of timescale.
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