Miliband steps up nuclear drive

By Mark LeftlySunday, 25 January 2009

Crunch talks on the UK's nuclear rollout programme will take place on Tuesday.
Ed Miliband, Energy and Climate Change Secretary, will host a conference at which it is thought he will push UK manufacturers to find ways of encouraging British engineers and designers to produce key components for nuclear stations. Under EU legislation a government cannot demand that its own companies have an involvement in such projects. The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, part of the Health and Safety Executive, is also due to announce ideas for station design.
Scottish & Southern Energy and Iberdrola, the Spanish owner of Scottish Power, announced last week that they would set up a joint venture to build nuclear plants in the UK. British Energy's French owner, EDF, and German partnership E.ON and RWE have also said they intend to join the nuclear rollout programme. Between them, it is estimated that the trio could provide 15 gigawatts of nuclear energy.