New Nuclear Power Station Gets Planning Permission

Planning consent was given in March for construction of the first new nuclear power station in the UK since 1995, in a boost to the move to a low carbon energy mix.

Two new reactors in Somerset

The planned multi-billion pound project at Hinkley Point, Somerset – to be operated by NNB Generation – will generate enough low carbon electricity to power the equivalent of five million households, making it one of the largest power stations in the UK. Two new reactors will be built, supporting between 20,000 and 25,000 jobs during construction and 900 permanent jobs during operation.

Coalition’s nuclear programme

The coalition government published its new nuclear programme in June 2010. This set out the vision that nuclear should play an important role in the UK’s future energy mix. Nuclear power has been part of the UK’s energy mix for the past 5 decades but most existing nuclear power stations are scheduled to close by 2023. Energy companies can build new nuclear power stations provided they are subject to the normal planning process for major projects and receive no public subsidy. This means there will be no levy, direct payment or market support for electricity supplied or capacity provided by a private sector new nuclear operator, unless similar support is also made available more widely to other types of generation.

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